Baby Be Mine
by Writinglo
Summary: Bella has always looked after Maggie, the daughter of her irresponsible, rock star friend Tanya. When Bella meets Edward and it becomes apparent that she is more of a mother to Maggie than Tanya is, Bella is ready to take on the challenge of making both Maggie and Edward hers.
1. Chapter 1

Baby Be Mine

I haven't been on FF for a while because I kinda lost my muse to write, plus school had been super busy and demanding. But now its summer, I cant find a job, so I'm stuck at home! Hopefully my boredom will help me write! Anyway, this was a story I thought of years ago, and so I started to add some more this past week. If anyone decides to read it, let me know if you like it or not! And if anyone has read my other story, Lucky, let me know if I should continue. I wasn't really feeling that story anymore, I felt like Bella and Edward being kids was starting to annoy me, yet at the same time, I didn't want to drastically change the vibe of the story and force them into an older version of themselves.

Anyway, here's the first chapter. I have three already written, so if anyone likes this chapter, I'll update the other two in the next two weeks and then just go on from there.

If you've decided to read this, thank you so much! You interest will keep me motivated.

...

"Alright, don't hate me."

I heard those words way too often for it to not become true sometimes. I sighed, leaning back against my couch and pausing the current rerun of Modern Family. "What is it this time, Tanya?" I twirled a cornel of popcorn between my buttery fingers before popping it into my mouth. This shit was a guaranteed way into gaining about twenty pounds, but I'll let Alice worry about that. Somehow, she manages to drag my ass out of bed at five in the morning to go running most of the time.

"I need you to watch Maggie," she said. "Please don't say no. James hooked us up with this _amazing_ gig, Bella! Like, I'm talking five hundred dollars _each_. Do you know how many toys I can buy Mags with that shit?" She sounded giddy saying this, but I knew it was all bullshit. She'd be spending that money on herself and Maggie will be lucky to get even a shirt out of it.

But I couldn't say no. Last time I did she dropped Maggie off at her neighbor's, who ended up hosting a party with every drug from the book floating around. The poor girl was probably still scarred.

"Fine," I said, not entirely hating it. The millions of times Tanya dropped Maggie off at my house resulted in us bonding and actually having a good time. Despite her being only seven years old, I'd take her company over most people my age.

Tanya squealed and I had to pull the phone away from my ear before I became deaf. Fuck, she was loud. "Thank you, Bella! Oh, my god, you won't regret it. Seriously, when we become really famous, you'll be the only one I thank."

I'm pretty sure there's only about a .1% of that actually happening, but I don't say anything. The doorbell rings and I groan, standing up heavily and trudging towards it. "Hold up, Tanya. Someone's at the door."

I opened the door and my eyebrows rose at Tanya's excited stare. "You can teleport now?" I snorted, not entirely too surprised. Figures she'd just _assume_ I'd watch Maggie. Tanya grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "You never let me down, Bella. But, yeah, we gotta hit the road now." She bent down and kissed Maggie's cheeks quickly. "Love you, Mags! See you tomorrow."

Then she was gone.

I smiled softly at Maggie, who looked tired but not too phased. Her mother did this so often that she's gotten used to it. "Hey, Mags," I said ushering her in and closing the door behind her.

She sighed, pulling her little plush elephant close to her stomach. "Hi, Bella."

"You want some cookies? I believe I have some left over from earlier."

…

Maggie eventually extracts herself from her tired state after a few cookies and soon we're playing and laughing like we usually do. I hated the game, but Mags somehow coerced me into playing hot lava, which meant if you touched the floor―or the _lava_ ―you were automatically dead. Of course this was much easier for Maggie since she was such a small thing and could leap like a fucking frog.

Not to mention she was a cheater.

More than once she had _accidentally_ pushed me off the couch. The last time she did it though, I pulled her with me, laughing as we fell against some strewn pillows. "Oops. Guess we're both dead," I said.

" _Actually_." She sat up on my stomach and grinned cheekily down at me. "The lava can't kill me."

I decided to humor her. "Oh? Why's that?"

"'Cuz I'm adorable."

"And what am I?" I snorted. "Chopped liver?"

She shrugged, still grinning. "Yeah, pretty much." I scoffed at the teasing words and then attacked her stomach relentlessly. Mags exploded into fits of laughter, calling Uncle until I gave mercy and ceased my tickling. "Am I still chopped liver?" I chuckled, ready to tickle her more if need be. But Maggie shook her head, wild hair flapping about. "No. You're the best."

I grinned and pulled her into my lap, letting her rest of head on my shoulder. "I'll have to disagree," I said. "Because I think you're the best." Maggie smiled against my shirt and yawned tiredly. "Tired?"

"Nope." But she yawned again. I chuckled and rested my head back against the sofa, content with staying here a while.

We fell asleep moments later.

…

"I just don't think it's right," Alice sighed the next morning. When she got home she woke us up and I carried Maggie to my room to lie down. Tanya never said when she'd pick Mags up, but since it was almost eleven, we had decided to take her to IHOP. "I actually don't mind it much," I whispered, looking across at Maggie. She was playing a game on my phone, little lips puckered in quiet concentration and fingers speeding across the screen. "It's nice to have a breath of innocence around, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said softly. "But what about Maggie? Her mother spends more time with her band than her child."

I frowned. "Yeah. I know. It sucks, but Tanya's just like that." Which is no excuse, but Tanya's the type of person who doesn't change. She's incapable of actually looking out for her responsibilities, which is a shame and disappointment all in one. "Hey, Mags, you ready to order?" I asked. Maggie paused the game and nodded. "Mhm."

I called a waitress over and ordered our meals before getting up to go to the bathroom. I asked Maggie if she had to go, but she said no unsurprisingly. She was too engrossed in her game.

Walking to the bathroom, I almost ran into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry," I said, glancing up, then thought―holy _fuck_. The guy looked down at me, his green eyes apologetic as well. He looked ready to reply, but then paused as he stared at me. "Uh… no, no. Um―I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

I smiled and stepped aside. "I guess we're both sorry."

"Uh, yeah… well, have a good day."

"You too."

He stood there awkwardly for a moment before walking away. I stared after him, grinning. _Damn_. How could someone be so adorable and hot at the same fucking time? I did my business before walking back over to the table and this time sitting down next to Maggie. She wanted to show me one of the apps she downloaded.

"You can only hit the black tiles," she explained. "And sometimes they go faster than the other ones."

"Wow, really?" I asked, eyes wide. "Sounds so difficult."

"Maybe for _you_ ," she said, giggling when I poked her stomach. "But it's so easy. Look."

I watched her play the game for a while before looking up at Alice, who'd been kicking my leg. "What?" I mouthed. Her eyes were wide, and she titled her head discreetly to the side, mouthing, "Look." I turned around and my eyebrows rose at the sight of the guy from the bathroom collision. He was looking this way, but quickly turned back around when he saw that I was looking.

I grinned and turned to Alice. "Bathroom," was all I had to say, and she laughed.

…

"Mags, your mommy isn't picking up her phone, so I'm gonna take you to work with me, okay?"

"Okay." She shrugged and set down her book. It was nearly five o'clock and Tanya had yet to call or pick up the phone when I called. My boss didn't really mind when I brought Mags to work, as long as she was quiet and undisruptive, which she usually is. "Can I have a root beer float when we get there?"

I smiled and nodded. Mags usually got drunk off of those things – figuratively of course. Actually, she got drunk off of anything sweet I gave to her.

I helped her slip on her shoes before we walked to my car and drove off. I worked at a restaurant downtown as a waitress, but only until I found out what to do with my business degree. I honestly have no fucking clue why I majored in that area and Alice more than once told me to go back and major in something else, but I didn't shit money these days. Hell, right now I was really just living off my inheritance money.

"Mags!"

Maggie grinned and broke out of my grip, barreling her tiny self into Emmett. It was always amusing to see the blatant differences between the two―so blatant, actually, that when I first brought Mags here she'd almost wet her pants looking up at Emmett, who towered over her and everyone else. But she loved the fact that he was as harmless as her teddy bears and always let her win when they wrestled.

"Hey, Emmett," Maggie said, grinning as he lifted her in the air. I laughed and walked over to them. "Hey, Em," I said and he bent down to kiss my forehead. Trust me, it didn't look as intimate as it seemed. Emmett was like an older brother―protective, loving and utterly stupid.

"I'm gonna go clock in," I said, kissing Mags' cheek and walking off. Looking back, I smiled as Emmett sat down and as Mags started punching his thighs, he cowered away as if it hurt. Turning back, I gasped as I ran right into someone, but before I fell, they grabbed my arm and steadied me. "Oh, shit," I breathed, looking up. "Sor―"

Holy fuck.

It was IHOP guy.

I smiled and crossed my arms. "Hello again."

He chuckled. "We keep meeting this way. You must think I'm a clumsy asshole." I wasn't too sure, but I think I heard a hint of a British accent. Or maybe it was Irish? I laughed and shook my head. "No, trust me, I'm definitely the clumsy one."

He smiled. "Well, still, I apologize. I'm Edward, by the way." Edward? A little old fashioned, but definitely suitable.

"Bella. Nice to meet you― _again_."

"Oh, Bella, I see you met Edward." I turned around to face my boss, Rose. Raising an eyebrow, I looked back briefly at Edward, then to Rose. "He's our new bartender," she explained, smiling.

"Oh, really?" I smiled at Edward, who was scratching the back of his neck. "Guess I'll be seeing a lot of you then."

…

"Look, Bella."

I looked at Maggie. She was on her second root beer float and was currently blowing bubbles into the foamy liquid. I smirked when the suds flew up into her face and she jerked back in surprise. "Very cute, Santa Clause."

Maggie giggled and blew some suds in my face. I got ready to tickle her when my phone rang. "Saved by the bell," I said. "But I'll get you later."

Mags stuck her tongue out at me before spinning off her chair and running over to Emmett. I wasn't too worried about her disturbing the customers since there were only about two couples left and ten minutes until closing.

Looking at the caller ID, I rolled my eyes then swiped to answer. "Tanya, where are you?"

"Bella!" I cringed and pulled the phone away a tiny bit. " _Ohmigoddd_ , you will not believe― _believe_ what happened. The fucking gig was a huge total big fucking success! And then we _totally_ got shitfaced. Like, fuck, I am such in a cloud right now. Like… fuck. And then we rode to Vegas! Fucking Vegas! Like…" She trailed off, giggling, and I tried hard not to lose my cool. If I yelled at her chances are she'd forget most of it anyway. She was completely wasted. "But I called to see how my Maggie Bear is! Is she being good? Next time I gotta hafta bring her to one of these shit things, man."

"Yeah, Tanya… call me when you're sober, okay?"

"Okay! Hey, Bells, how's Maggie again – Derek, get the _fuck_ outta my face you fucking re―"

I hung up on her and sighed, distressed. Looking over at Maggie, my heart broke for the free-spirited child, completely innocent in this whole fucked up situation. She was busy hanging on Emmett's arm and he was swinging her back and forth. I smiled, glad she had this to turn to when her mother abandoned her.

"You look pretty deep in thought."

I jumped, scared and twirled around to face Edward. He was leaning against the bar and cleaning some wine glasses. "Nah, not really… just…" I shrugged. "Just wondering about some things."

He smiled. "Sounds pretty similar to me. Wanna talk about it?"

"Eh…" Edward seemed like a nice guy, but I barely spoke two sentences to him. He smiled softly and set the glass down. "Right, sorry. Boundaries."

"No, it's okay. I just rather not talk about it." I paused, figuring now would be the perfect time to get to know him. "So, did you just move to Seattle, or…?"

"Yeah, I did actually. I, um, lived in Chicago for a bit after moving here from England―" Ha! I knew it. The sexy, adorable, bartender man was a fucking Brit as well. "―but I didn't really find any purpose there."

"But… you find purpose in a random restaurant in Seattle?" I guess that sounded a bit rude actually said out loud, but I was curious. What did Seattle offer that Chicago didn't? They both seem pretty similar to me. Edward chuckled, as if thanking the same thing. "Well, I guess the women just weren't as beautiful in Chicago."

It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. I stifled a giggle behind my hand and leaned against the counter. "Charming," I teased. Edward chuckled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "That sounded way better in my head. Besides, you probably have a boyfriend anyway…"

"Oh? Well, when can I meet this _boyfriend_? " Because I sure as hell haven't had one of those since freshman year. Yeah, there's been some flings here and there, but nothing serious enough to label. Edward shook his head, eyebrows raised high. "Nah, you're shitting me. There's no way you're not taken."

"Yeah, and how do you infer that?"

He smirked, all lopsided and cute. "Look in the mirror and see for yourself."

"Okay, well, what about you? You must have someone back for you in Chicago."

Edward laughed and shook his head. "No, not by a long shot. I was actually a bit of a hermit there. Not many women fancied me."

I scoffed. "Impossible. You're adorable, like… Angel Elsort adorable. A bit geeky, but hot at the same time. "

"Uh… thank you?" He chuckled and I laughed along with him. Edward paused and fiddled with the rag in his hands. "You look like you're in your early twenties," he started slowly. I looked at him curiously and waited for him to continue. "Is that your daughter?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What happened to boundaries?" I laughed when his eyes widened and he immediately began apologizing, mouth flapping open like a fish out of water. It was really amusing to watch, but the poor man looked so pitiful. "Edward, I'm messing with you. Mag's not my daughter, I'm just watching her for a friend."

"Oh, that's nice of you."

I shrugged and twisted around to look at Maggie. "I do it so often now that it feels more obligatory instead of like a favor than anything. But I do love her like she's my own."

"Wow, that's… really awesome, actually."

As if the little brat knew we were talking about us, Maggie spun around and darted over to me. I prepared myself for the impact and let out a little, " _Oomph_!" as she ran right into my arms. I pretended to struggle as I lifted her into the air. "God, Mags. Did you gain a pound or fifty?"

"No," she giggled and swung her legs around my hips. "I think _you_ might have, though."

"Oh, really now?" I blew raspberries against her neck and she dissolved into fits of giggles and squirming limbs. "Do you take it back?" She shook her head quickly and I tickled her sides. "Really?"

"Okay! Okay, I was just kidding," she squealed. "You're the prettiest Bella I ever met."

I'm pretty sure I'm the _only_ Bella she's ever met, but I take what I can get. I kiss her cheek and set her down on the counter. "Mags, this is Edward."

Maggie looked at Edward, eyes wide and unsure, as he waved a little awkwardly. Then she turned to me, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "Is he your boyfriend?"

I looked at Edward, who was cleaning the glasses again, trying not to eavesdrop. I giggled in spite of myself and looked back at Mags. "No, but he's kinda cute right?" I may have said this over a whisper and Maggie giggled, shaking her head vigorously. I smiled, and it grew even larger when I saw Edward's too. "It's about time to go. You ready?"

"Yep," she said, kicking her feet out. I helped her off the counter and she ran to go find her coat. "I don't know whether to feel insulted or not that a six year old thinks I'm ugly," Edward mused teasingly.

"Seven year old," I corrected, grinning. "And Maggie's just like that, all innocent and whatnot. She'd think her own father had cooties if she could." I grabbed my coat off of the stool next to me and shrugged it onto my shoulders. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Uh, yeah. Tomorrow. See you then."

"Bye, Edward."

I turned and met Mags by the door. She was trying to show some magic tricks to some of the other waiters. "And then, see, you put the card back," she said, all giddy and excited. I tried to repress a snort when she quickly peeked at the card and placed it at the bottom of the deck, then did a half-assed job shuffling before taking the card out. "And see! This is your card, right?"

Jane grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it is. How'd you do that?"

"I'm _magic_!"

Jane and the others laughed and smiled and I snuck up behind Mags, swooping her swiftly into my arms. She laughed and tried to squirm away, but I held her tight. "I'm gonna go ahead and take this little magician to bed. See you guys later."

"Bye!" Maggie called.

I rushed to the car because it was freezing out and helped Maggie into her seat. The drive wasn't long, but she fell asleep almost immediately after we drove off. When we got to the house, I was careful not to wake her, but being a light sleeper and all, Maggie stirred naturally. "Bella," she mumbled as I snuggled us under the covers. I didn't even bother changing clothes. "Hm?"

"Do I have to call you mommy?"

I sighed and swiped the soft bangs of her hair out from in front of her eyes. "No, babe. You have a mommy, you know that."

She was quiet after that, so I assumed she'd fallen asleep, but she spoke about five minutes later. "Does she love me?"

My heart broke and clenched about five times over as she muttered the soft words. I'd gotten mad at Tanya plenty of times, all in different variations of anger, but this was different. This was more of an I-want-to-strangle-you type of anger. "Of course, Mags. She loves you, mommy's just… busy, is all. But your mommy loves you so much."

And it's true. Tanya loved Maggie, but she also loved her music and herself. Sometimes, her love gravitated more so to music than anything else, which was a harsh reality, but completely true. "Okay," Mags sighed. I stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hey! So thanks for the people that reviewed, although it would mean a whole lot to me if everyone who put this story as a favorite and followed would drop a review too, just so I can see what you think of the story too! Besides that, thank you for the reviews again and here's the second chapter.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Twilight.

...

Five days after Tanya dropped Maggie off, she finally came to pick her up.

I heard her band's music screeching loudly in the air before I saw her. Maggie heard it, too and she hopped up and ran to the door, bare feet and all. Sighing, I followed after and opened it, watching as Tanya stumbled out of her car. "Mags!" she squealed. Maggie ran down the steps and into her mother's arms, giggling as she twirled them around. Alice joined me on the porch, shaking her head. "I fucking hate that bitch," she spat. "Keep her out of the house."

"Alice," I sighed.

"Mommy, I missed you," Maggie said. Tanya hugged her closer and stamped her face with kisses. "I missed you too, sweets. You have fun with Bella?"

"Yeah! I got to go to her job and drink root beer floats and we watched all these movies."

"That's awesome, hon. We should do that when we get home, how's that sound?" Tanya said. Maggie nodded excitedly and I walked down to them. "Hey, Maggie, why don't you go get that movie we watched? You can watch it with mommy later."

"Yay!" she shouted, then ran off back into the house.

"I was almost a hundred percent positive you were dead," I said. Tanya shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I know… what I did was fucked up. But we were just so excited, you know?" She grinned and pulled out a cigarette. "Some guy wants to produce a fucking album for us, Bella. It's just… great you know?"

"Yeah, Tanya. It sounds dandy and all, but you have a child here at home _waiting_ for you. Wondering if you love her―"

" _Please_. Mags knows I love her."

I crossed my arms and sighed. Arguing with her would be pointless. "Alright, whatever. Just… try to be there for her? Don't abandon her."

"Aright, alright. Are you done being dramatic now?"

Maggie came out, this time with shoes and a DVD in her hand. I grabbed her before she could run off and hugged her tight. "You had fun?"

"So much fun," she said, giggling.

"Alright. Bye, Mags. Love you."

"Love you too," she said and I set her down. She and Tanya walked off to the car and I sighed, walking back inside. The day had suddenly turned a tiny bit depressing without Maggie's loud squeals and peals of laughter.

"Feels empty," Alice said as I sat down next to her on the couch. I nodded and pulled my legs up onto the couch. "Yeah."

…

Since I didn't have work today, I called Edward to see if he'd want to hang out. After talking to him at work and getting to know him, he was seeming less and less like the hermit he claims he was in Chicago. Around two, we met up at IHOP to have some late pancakes.

"You know, your accent was so vague when I first met you, now it's the only thing I hear," I said while spearing some sugary pancakes with a fork. Edward smiled and nodded. "I try to conceal it when I'm at work or when I meet someone I know I won't get close to. The questions get tiring."

I smirked slowly behind a gunky mouthful of pancakes and syrup. "You plan to get close to me?" I say it teasingly, but I really want to know. Because, shit… I wouldn't mind at all.

Edward smiles almost shyly and shrugs. "Yeah… I would, actually."

"Because you… _fancy_ me?" I say this with my best Edward impression and he laughs, causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle and his teeth to show. Which isn't a very unsightly sight since they were so white and straight. He _had_ to have braces when he was younger, because no way can someone be as perfect as him and not harbor some kind of flaw or past flaw. "That was horrible," he snorted once his laughter died down. I stuck my tongue out at him.

By the end of our… outing? I wouldn't even know what to call it; it was sort of like a date, but not really. But, by the end of our _whatever_ , I was giddy with _Edward_. Not laughter or fun, just… Edward. He really was amazing. And I'm not sure why he's so adamant about camouflaging his accent when it just makes him even more appealing.

As we walked down the street, neither of us really wanting our time together to end, we started playing twenty questions.

"So, how old are you?" I started it off. I was dying to know.

"Twenty-nine," he answered. "Just a few weeks shy of thirty."

I feigned disgust. "Eww. You're so old."

He shoved me playfully with his shoulder and I grinned. "Yeah? How old are you then?"

"Twenty-four. Just a few _months_ shy of twenty-five."

"I'm not sure how badly hanging out with a youngin' like you will ruin my reputation," Edward said seriously. The way the word _youngin'_ fell out of his lips made me laugh and Edward glowered. "You laughing at me? Not nice, Bella."

"No, no," I giggled. "You're just so _cute_. Like, I could honestly pour some butter on you and eat you up."

Edward paused and stepped away from me, a playfully worried look melting onto his face. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Isn't it _my_ turn to ask a question?"

"Is that your question?"

" _No_. My question is: why did you move from England?"

"Well… at first to explore. See my options in life. Then… I grew to love it here, so I extended my Visa and just decided to stay. My turn. Did you live in Seattle all your life?"

"No, I lived in Forks, which is about two hours from here. It was pretty small, and like my mom I just felt suffocated, so I moved to the city. Got any siblings?"

"One. My brother Jasper, but he still lives in England. He visits often, though. Do you?"

"Nope. So, I'm entitled to have only-child-syndrome, which means I do not like to share," I said seriously and he laughed. It was my new favorite sound. We went back and forth for a while, until it got dark and we realized we went over the twenty question mark. I was glad, though. I learned so much, like how he'd eat breaded shrimp and that it was his favorite meal, but wouldn't go near regular shrimp. And that the birthmark on his left asscheeck is kind of shaped like a tree, but he said it was debatable. And also, he was good at soccer, but he called it football, and I only realized that when he started describing what his last game was like.

When we got back to my car I was bummed our… _outing_ … was over, but I was getting all sticky and sweaty from the humid summer air.

"So, I had fun," Edward said, leaning against my car door. I kinda wanted to throw him in my trunk and speed away, but that might be a little much for the first... outing, or whatever.

"Yeah, we should do it again," I said, nodding. "Is tomorrow too soon?"

He laughed. "Well, we both have work, but maybe next Friday?"

I nodded and there was a slight pause as we just stared at each other. I was about to go, pushing off of the car, but Edward slipped his hands under my jaw and pulled my lips against his. First, I was shocked, but barely a second later I melted into it, my hands snaking above his shoulders and pulling our bodies closer together. I tried to breathe evenly, but his smell, his touch, his lips… they were all making me dizzy. I had to pull back before I passed out, panting and resting my forehead on his chest. "Another thing to add to the _'Edward Is Awesome'_ list. You're an _awesome_ kisser."

He laughed breathlessly. "I have a list?"

"Yeah. That was number three hundred forty-six."

He laughed again and kissed me. I didn't mind at all.

…

The next morning I was at Tanya's place, helping Maggie with some math worksheets I'd printed out while Tanya practiced. She hated when I made her do work over the summer, but she was really good at math. She was already a pro at multiplication.

"Alex was almost out of ice cream cones for his ice cream party," I read out loud, trying to block out the rock music drifting from the other room. "He had a delivery of five boxes, each with twelve ice cream cones in them. How many cones is Alex expecting?"

"Uhh…" Maggie tapped the end of her pencil against her temple, thinking. "Sixty?"

"Yeah! Good job, Mags."

"Can we do another?" she asked, leaning over the table. I nodded. "Yeah. So, number two. Peter and Marsha each have two dogs and each dog has a liter of eight puppies. How many puppies do they have combined?"

Maggie does the math on the paper, thinking long and hard with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. When she's done, she's got an accomplished gleam in her eyes. "The answer is thi―"

"That's not how you play the fucking note, Felix!" Tanya yelled. "God, learn how to fucking play the guitar, you fucking shithead."

"The answer is thirty-two," Maggie said, looking towards where her mother was distractedly. I nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "Yeah, it is, Mags. Good job. You wanna go do the rest outside?"

"Sure," she said, shrugging. I help gather her papers and we head outside to the small backyard. I would go to the front porch, but Tanya's neighbors were packing bowls out there when I came. Maggie does the rest of the problems without any difficulty, although I'm not surprised. I let her run around some, sighing when Tanya's screams grew louder.

Maggie just continued to spin in circles.

I pulled my phone out, contemplating, then called Edward's number. "Hey," he answered on the first ring.

"Hey," I said, smiling. "You busy?"

"No, what's up?"

"Do you wanna go somewhere today?"

…

I grinned at Edward across the zoo parking lot. He was in shorts and a polo shirt. Maggie, excited, tried to run over to Edward, but I stopped her and reminded her that we were still in a parking lot. When we were a foot away, however, I let her run to him and he picked her up, laughing as she threw her arms and legs around him. "Edward!" she yelled cheerfully.

"Hey, munchkin." He set her down and ruffled her hair.

"Hey," I greeted him. "Thanks so much for this. Her mother was…"

He nodded, catching my eyes. "No problem. I've actually never been to the zoo before, so I'm okay."

Both mine and Maggie's jaws dropped. "Never?" I asked.

"No." He shrugged. "I was never really interested."

"Oh, well, we're gonna make you interested today," I declared. "Right Maggie?" She nodded and grabbed Edward's hand, tugging him towards the entrance.

"You _have_ to see the elephants," she said. "They're so big! They're like… this big." She stretched her arms out wide and stood on her tippy toes. Edward chuckled. "Really? Because that's pretty big, munchkin. How can they possibly fit them in the zoo?"

"Well, they're not _that_ big," Maggie insisted. "They live with the sand and rocks and water. And then they use their trunks to get the water. It's so cool!"

We entered the zoo and saw the monkeys first. Maggie tried to get their attention by making these strange noises, which just about killed Edward and I. Although, they started to look more annoyed than anything, so we moved on to the ostriches.

By the time we hit the giraffes, it was almost seven and Maggie was getting tired. Edward had her in his arms, with her legs dangling by his and arms swinging lazily down his back.

"You wanna go now?" I asked. "I know she must be getting heavy."

"Are you questioning my strength?" he teased. I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure I am. It's not like you don't have bulging muscles or anything."

"Which I don't," he laughed wiggling his arm. "And I guess you can question my strength because she is getting a _tad_ bit heavy."

I grinned and we walked towards the exit, saying goodbye to all the animals. "So? How was your first ever zoo experience?"

"Well, it _stank_. Quite literally, actually," he said. "No, it was good. Although, the smell of those goats was absolutely terrifying."

I snorted and nodded. "Oh, definitely. Maggie called me a goat before."

Edward laughed. "Well, I have to disagree with that. You smell lovely, always."

We got to my car, Edward offering to get his tomorrow, and Edward straps Maggie in, letting out a sigh of relief when he does, making me giggle. When we pull off, I pull my shoes off and sigh. "We've been walking for hours."

"Well, I'd offer you a foot rub, but..."

"No, keep your hands on the wheel," I giggled. "Although you do owe me."

"I owe you something that I offered out of the _kindness_ of my heart?" he teased.

I wiggled my toes and stretched, smiling at the easy banter we fell into. "Sure do."

"Alright. What about tonight?"

I looked at him, surprised. "You want to give me a foot rub tonight?" He shrugged, looking out past the windshield, and I laughed. "Okay, then."

…

When I walked in with Edward that evening, Mags still passed out, Alice was in the living room. She looked at us once before offering to take Maggie and whisking her up the stairs. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, knowing where her mind was going, although I didn't really oppose it. Kissing Edward yesterday was seriously a sinful taste of heaven, and doing it again, hopefully in the near future, is something I would wholly take part in.

"Your house is nice," Edward said, picking up a CD from beside the TV.

"Thanks. My parents helped me pay for it," I said. He nodded and a smirk crossed his lips and he looked at me, a playful glint in his eyes. A blush immediately crawled across my skin when I recognized the CD in his hand. "Taylor Swift?" he chuckled. "Bella… you really listen to Taylor Swift?"

" _No_ ," I said, walking over and trying to snatch it away, but he quickly moved his hand behind his back. "That's for Maggie."

"Is it really?" He looked at the CD again and when I tried to grab for it, he lifted his arm. "So if I ask her tomorrow she'll agree with you?"

"Yes, she _will_." I reached for it again, groaning when he swiveled it around his back. We danced around like this for a moment more, me whining for him to give it back and him laughing like the bully he was. We only stopped when I had him cornered on the back of the couch, me leaning against his body as he leaned backward. The position was extremely compromising, so I did the only thing I thought I should do.

I kissed him.

His lips were still amazing, soft and sweet and captivating. The CD fell to the floor with a dull thud as his hand slipped around my waist. He lifted me up slightly and spun us around, tongues probing each and every direction and I moaned at the spectacular feeling. It was perfect, our lips melding sensually together and hands caressing the perfect spot. This was short lived however, when we both tumbled down onto the couch and rolled onto the floor.

At first I was shocked, then I felt the pain spread across my back since I took the brunt of the fall. "Oh shit, Bella. Are you okay?" Edward asked, quickly scrambling off of me and helping me up. My back hurt like a bitch, but I couldn't help the giggles that bubbled past my lips. Edward looked at me, bemused, but as I continued laughing a slow smile began to appear on his face. "Uh… Bella? Did you hit your head, too?"

" _No_. That was just… that was _funny_ ," I laughed, leaning against his chest. Edward chuckled. "If you say so… but seriously, are you hurt?"

I pulled back and smiled at him. "No, I'll be okay. It only hurts a little bit."

"Where?"

I shrugged. "My back, but―"

I gasped as he spun me around and gently began to knead and massage my back. The feel of his fingers working expertly across my back was heavenly and I sighed, blissful. "Okay, yeah... that is _definitely_ helping."

"Is it?" Seconds later I felt his hands slowly lifting my top and then his warm lips peppering the skin of my back. I groaned and twirled around, bringing him back up straight. "Yeah," I breathed against his lips before they touched mine. A fire burned deep in my chest and spread out through my body, lighting my senses and shrouding my body with a comfortable hum. Our kiss soon turned urgent and fervent and somehow, we had wandered down onto the couch, grasping at clothing and drinking each other up.

"Shit," I whispered when Edward lifted off my lips and pressed hot, open-mouth kisses along my jaw and down towards my neck. Heat bloomed across the expanse of my skin and it was hard not to shiver from the sheer ferocity of it all. "I want to," Edward started as he momentarily detached his lips from my skin, "continue this," I groaned lowly when he dipped down again and nibbled at the juncture between my neck and shoulder. "but Mags," he blew on my wet skin, "and your friend. Alice, was it?"

Was it? "Uh…" I gasped when he moved lower and began kissing right about my breasts. "Yeah… Alice." My hands crept up into his hair, wild and crazy, but perfect all at the same time. Edward chuckled and pulled back, staring up at me with an amused glint in his green eyes. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah," I breathed, then giggled lowly. "Sorry. It's been a while."

A grin bloomed across his face. "That makes me oddly happy to hear."

I just bit my lip and grinned at him, incredibly happy, even though I've only known this guy for a short while. It was like there was a hoard of butterflies in my chest, desperate to burst out and too much to be contained. I leaned up to kiss him again, only a loud cry halted my movements. I jerked backwards and scrambled out of Edward's grip before rushing up the staircase. Alice was rushing out of her room too and heading to my room, where Mags probably was.

"Mags," I said, crouching down beside her on the bed. Maggie was crying and holding the blanket tight to her chest, which was rising and falling urgently. "Mags, babe. What's wrong? You gotta talk to me, sweet girl." I climbed onto the bed with her and pulled her into my arms. The way she clung onto me broke my heart and I was desperate to find out what caused this. "Maggie, what happened? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah," she whimpered.

"Can you tell me what it was about?"

She sniffled a few times before nodding solemnly. "I was alone. You weren't there and mommy wasn't either. I was all alone and no one answered me when I was screaming."

"Aw, Mags. You know that will never happen though, right? I'll always be here and so will mommy," I tried to assure her. Maggie shook her head and looked up at me with huge, watery eyes. "Mommy is _never_ here. What if someday you leave, too?"

"Maggie." I twisted her around and stared at her determinedly, then repeated heartedly, "I will _always_ be here."

"Promise?" She held up her pinky and I grinned and hooked mine around it. "I promise."

Mags took a deep breath before nodding and giving me a timid smile. "Okay. Thanks, Bella."

"Anytime, babe." I tapped the tip of her nose and she giggled. "Now, you need to get to bed. It's late."

"Alright. When are you coming to seep?"

"In a bit. Edward is still downstairs, so I'm gonna say goodnight to him really quick, okay?" When she nodded, I kissed her forehead before standing and walking out of her room. Alice has slipped out of the room when I was talking to Maggie, but she was standing right outside the door when I exited the room. "Hey, is she okay?"

"Yeah, just a nightmare," I sighed. "This shit with Tanya is really starting to get to her."

Alice shook her head, disgusted. "Maggie doesn't deserve that. At all. Are you gonna talk to Tanya?"

I shrugged. Every time I've tried to talk to Tanya, it went in one ear and out the other. But I knew something more had to be done - something that would actually penetrate her thick skull. "I'll try," I said simply. Alice nodded and said goodnight and I went downstairs to Edward. He was lounging on the couch on his phone and I crept up behind him, throwing my arms around her shoulders from behind.

"Hey, so what happened?" he asked. I went around the couch and sat next to him. "Nothing, Maggie just had a nightmare, but she's okay."

"Good. That's great." He stood and grinned down at me. "I think I'm gonna head out, though. Raincheck for the foot massage?"

I smiled and stood up with him. "Yeah, definitely. And I'll be holding you too it."

He chuckled and I walked him to the door. He turned to me and bent down to press a small kiss to my lips. When he tried to pull away, I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him closer, giggling against his lips as he smiled. After a moment, when our tongues started to battle fiercely, I had to force myself to finally pull away before I molest him right in front of my door. "Ugh. Go, before I tie you up and keep you here."

Edward laughed. "That doesn't sound too bad, actually. Goodnight, Bella." He pulled away from me and walked down the steps and towards a cab he most likely called when I was upstairs. I leaned against my door jab and watched him until he was out of the drive way and no longer in sight.

"Oh, God," I groaned and rubbed my hands down my face. This guy would probably be the death of me.

...


	3. Chapter 3

Baby Be Mine

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

...

Chapter 3

The day after the zoo with Edward, Tanya had given me a call right before work saying I could drop Maggie off at her house. When I told Maggie she'd be going home today and not to the restaurant, she frowned in displeasure. "But I wanna go with you."

"I know, sweetie," I said as we rushed out of the house. I was running a little late and practically threw my bags in the car. "But your mommy said that she misses you and wants to spend time with you."

"Yeah, well, I don't wanna spend time with _her_ ," Maggie spat heatedly. I frowned, because Maggie had never spoken so vehemently about her mother. She got irritated with her a lot, but whenever she could see her, she would be insanely excited. "Maggie. Come on, babes. She's your mom."

I pulled out of the drive way and Maggie looked bitterly out the window. "She's a shitty mom."

" _Whoa_!" My eyes flashed up briefly to my rear-view mirror before darting back to the road. "Since when did you stop being a seven-year-old angel?" Maggie just snorted and I sighed. "Look. No cursing, alright? I know your mom usually lets loose around you, but you're not old enough to be using words like that. And also, your mom… she's not the best, okay?" _Complete_ understatement, but whatever. "But everyone's mom is crappy in some way at some point. Like my mom, she never came to my recitals because she always had to work. Well, your mom is kind of like that. She's doing her job so she can pay bills and buy you things. Your mom loves you so much, Mags. She just… has a weird way of showing it."

Maggie sighed. "I guess…"

I pulled up to Tanya's house not too long after. As soon as the car stopped, Maggie jumped out and slammed the door behind her. I sighed, knowing she's upset, and waited until the door open and Maggie was inside before pulling off.

When I got to work, Edward and Emmett were both outside, having just arrived too.

"No Mags today?" Emmett asked. I shook my head. "Nah. Tanya decided to be a real parent today."

"Who's Tanya?" Edward asked.

"My friend," I sighed. "We go way back to junior high. She's Maggie's mom."

We walked in through the front door and Edward helped me shimmy out of my jacket. I smiled, thankful, and tried not to turn around and smother his lips in kisses. Rose, the restaurant owner, had no qualms about us dating coworkers, but I rather keep it professional around prying eyes.

Waitressing at this time on a Friday night was never easy. People usually dragged themselves in after a hard week of work and wanted to celebrate by coming in for some drinks or a nice meal. Our tables were packed and there was a wait line snaking out from the entrance.

"You okay there, Bella? You look a little frazzled," Edward said as I was whizzing by the bar. I groaned and gave him a tired look. "It hasn't been this full in a while. But, yeah, I'm fine."

"You _definitely_ are," a voice said lowly. I followed the sound to a man sitting at the bar, drunk and clothes haphazardly placed on his body. I had to refrain from scoffing and just gave Edward an indignant, but slightly amused smile. "Anyway. I'll see you around, if I don't die of exhaustion first."

I tried to get to my tables quickly and efficiently, but I also wasn't the most graceful person. As I approached table seven, rushing and trying to maneuver around bodies, I tripped over my own foot and the plates I'd been juggling fell to the floor with all of the food. I let out a strangled cry as a discomfort ignited in my ankle and tears began to form at the corners of my eyes.

Fuck. This had never happened before and the humiliation punched me in the gut with excessive force. Hands immediately reached for me to help stand and I realized in my clumsiness, mostly everyone who could see stopped to stare.

"Hey, it's okay," I heard Edward say. With his hand wrapped around my waist, he helped me limp to the back.

"I'm such a fucking klutz," I groaned when the door was closed behind us. Edward guided me to the bench in front of the lockers and I tried not to jostle my ankle when I sat down. "No. Accidents happen, Bella," he reassured me. "You're usually a pro at this – it was just super crowded. Plus, you've been here for hours, you're probably completely knackered."

I smiled as Edward inspected my ankle. When he applied some pressure to a certain area, I winced and jerked away. "Sorry. This is definitely a sprained ankle though, at least."

"Ugh," I groaned as I ran my hands down my face. I peeked at Edward through my fingers. "Does that mean hospital?"

"I'm afraid so," he said apologetically. "I can drive you."

"Alright." I dropped my hands and smiled at him thankfully. "Thanks, Edward." To show just how thankful I was, I leaned forward and kissed him, hard, on the lips. His hands found my waist and he pushed back with just as much force. I had to pull away, breathless, before someone came in. Which, actually, someone _did_.

"Bella, are you – "

Rose paused mid-sentence as she took in our compromising positions. Edward still had his hands clasped tightly on my waist and our faces were just inches apart. Trying to quickly move away would have just been futile and awkward.

Rose smirked. "Well, I was gonna ask if you were okay, but you seem fine to me."

Edward laughed awkwardly and pulled away. "I was just about to take her to the hospital, Rose. It seems like Bela sprained her ankle."

Rose nodded. "Okay. Well, make sure you get some rest, Bella. You can't wait with a sprained ankle, so take however long you need for it to heal."

I sighed and nodded. "Alright. Thanks, Rose."

Rose and Edward helped me out to his car. I'd have to leave mine here until I can drive it myself, but Rose didn't seem to mind. When I was all buckled in, she said bye and told me to feel better once more before heading back inside while Edward went to get himself situated in the driver's seat.

"So, how long does it take a sprain to heal?" I asked, since he seemed to know stuff about it. Edward shrugged. "From what I've experienced and seen, it could take a week or two, but if it's severe, about four to six weeks."

"From what you've experienced and seen?"

Edward nodded. "Do you remember when I said I was good at football?"

"Yes, soccer," I said with a giggle.

He smiled. "Well, I played on a U21 team in England. It's a league for under twenty-ones for football – ah, soccer. So, there have been quite a few injuries I've been privy to."

"Whoa, so… like, David Beckham?"

Edward laughed. "Is that the only footballer you know?" I shrugged, sheepish. "Well, no, but I did admire him. I thought I would make it to MLS and get super famous, like he did, but… I don't know. Football was fun when I was younger, but it just wasn't what I wanted to do all my life."

"I understand that," I said, nodding, then I teased him, "You should still show me how you play some time, though. Soccer _is_ pretty sexy, you know."

…

Like Edward said, my ankle _was_ sprained. The doctor said I just mildly twisted it, and it should heal in, at most, two weeks. He bandaged it up, covering the ugly, inflamed, and now purple ankle from view. Not long after we arrived, I was donning some fancy new crutches and laughing with Edward as we walked out.

"You have to admit it, though."

"No. _No_. That doctor was too nice to be talking about him," I said. Edward shook his head, a knowing grin on his lips. "Yes. But, come _on_. Who wears mullets anymore? He looked _ridiculous_."

I snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever, and here I thought you were this amazing, kind man who was nice to all, but I judged you wrong." I was teasing, of course, and gladly Edward realized, because he started chuckling some more.

When we were situated in the car, my cell phone began to ring. I reached to pick it up and frowned when I saw unknown, but I answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Bella?"

My eyebrows furrowed deeply. "Mags? Whose phone are you calling me on?"

"Um, a payphone," she said quietly. I instantly grew panicked. "Why are you calling on a pay phone? Where's your mom, Maggie?"

"I don't know," she sniffled, then she started to cry. My heart was now racing and I felt like I was gonna throw up. "Okay. Okay, Mags, just calm down for me. Do you know where you are?"

"Um…" She paused. "No. I was walking, because I was trying to find her. She left me in this drink place, but when I tried to find her, she wasn't there."

I ran a hand down my face and Edward looked over at me briefly, concerned. "Okay, Maggie. Good, so it was a drink place? Do you mean a bar? You know, it looks like where Edward works."

"Oh. Yeah, where Edward works. It has a lot of bottles."

"Alright. Do you know what the street sign near you says? There's street signs, the green signs on these tall poles," I told her. "Tell me what it says."

"Oh, there's a few of them… Um, one says… Pike, I think it says… and another has the number 4 on it."

"Okay, good job, Mags." I turned to Edward. "Do you know where Pike Street and 4th Avenue is?"

He shook his head, so I turned my direction back to Maggie. "Mags, I'm with Edward now, okay? We're gonna come and get you. Is there any stores around you now?"

"Mhm. There's a flower store, a pet store… um, I think that ones a clothing store…"

"Good. You've always wanted a pet, right? How about you go look for some in the pet store, and then Edward and I will come and get you, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright, babes. Love you, and I'll see you soon. Don't talk to anyone, alright? Stay put."

"Okay. Love you, Bella."

She hung up and I dropped my phone into my lap. Edward looked over at me. "What happened?"

"Um, keep going straight," I mumbled distractedly. I had picked my phone back up and was dialing Tanya's number. After the panic wore off, anger had replaced it. It boiled in my veins and made my throat swell with contempt. Tanya picked up after the fourth ring. "Bella! Hey, _girl_!"

"Tanya, what the fuck!" I yelled. "Where the fuck are you?"

"Uh…" She hiccupped, then dissolved into giggles. "I dunno, girl. Where are _you_?"

"Tanya. Maggie just called me – make a right, Edward – from a payphone off the street. She was with you, and now she's alone. What. The fuck. _Happened_?"

"She called you?" Tanya yelled loudly. "Oh, I'm so proud of my baby, baby girl. Aw, tell her I said hi and I love her _sooo_ much when you see her! Oh! I gotta go, okay? I feel like I'm floating and I need –"

I hung up and tried not to fling my phone in frustration. "Fuck!" I yelled. "She just left her in a fucking bar, Edward. She took her seven-year-old to a bar and just… _left_ her." I threw him an incredulous, sad look. "Like, how can someone do that? She could have gotten hurt. Someone could have called the police and she would have been taken away."

"But she's okay now," Edward said. "She's fine. We'll go pick her up and take her to your house, okay? Everything will be fine."

I nodded and ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "Yeah. You're right. God, she must've been so scared."

I told Edward the rest of the way to get there and we pulled up fifteen minutes later. Edward helped me out and, as fast as my crutches would allow me, we rushed to the entrance and walked in.

Maggie was by a pen of dogs with an older woman, looking down in excitement as she bent to pet them.

"Maggie!" I exclaimed. She twirled and grinned when she saw Edward and I, then darted towards us. "Hi! Wait, what happened to your leg?"

"I just fell," I said and bent down to kiss her face. "Oh, God. I was so worried. You're okay?"

"Yup! I met Mrs. Cope, she owns this store. She said she loves animals like me and that I can bring home a puppy if you said yes."

I lifted my eyes to the older women by the pin, who was staring in discontentment at me. I wobbled over to her with a gentle smile. "Hi. Thank you so much for watching after her."

The woman smiled grimly at me. "Well, I was just about to call the police, but Maggie explained well to me what happened. It's appalling, truly, but I'm glad she was able to call you."

"Me too," I breathed, watching as Maggie ran over the pen with Edward.

"Now, I didn't call the police, but I expect you to take some caution in this situation. That little girl's mother just let her wander the streets alone."

"I know. I know… trust me, I'm going to have it sorted out."

"Bella! Look, look!" Maggie beckoned me over and I went to her. She pointed to one of the dogs, a small chihuahua mix dog with a coat donning a pattern of black, white and tan. The dog was adorable and I immediately went into girl-mode, by bending and staring at the cuteness in front of me. "It's adorable," I said, reaching down to pet it. Maggie nodded. "Yeah! Not as adorable as me, but close," she said teasingly. I laughed and reached over to brush my finger against her stomach, making her buckle with laughter.

"Well…" I said. "How about we… get this dog?"

Maggie stopped and turned to me, her eyes wide and mouth open. "No. Way. Are you serious, Bella?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, Mags."

Maggie jumped up and started squealing with excitement. I turned to Edward, laughing, who was chuckling himself. Even Mrs. Cope was smiling hugely, despite the situation.

So, about thirty minutes later, we had our new dog, who Maggie named Roscoe, a small carrier cage, bags full of food, toys and treats, and Mrs. Cope was handing me a piece of paper with her name and number on it. "Now, don't hesitate to call me. Whether it be about Roscoe or if you need a babysitter for Maggie."

"Of course. Thank you so much, Mrs. Cope."

She nodded "It was my pleasure. Bye, Maggie. Make sure you take good care of Roscoe, okay?"

"I will!"

The drive back home was filled with Maggie cooing at her new dog and me still silently fuming over what Tanya did. Edward had placed his hand on my knee to try and placate my anger, but it was useless. I really did need to talk to Tanya – but when she was able to listen. I'm not going to keep letting Maggie go back to that fucked up house if she's not going to take care of her.

"Hey." I turned to look at Edward. "Everything will be alright."

I sighed. "Yeah, I hope so."

...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Around noon on Saturday is when Tanya showed up. She looked like literal shit and didn't smell any better either. I glared at her as she had the nerve to stand there sheepishly and shuffling from one foot to the other. "Hey, Bells."

"What do you need, Tanya?"

She frowned. "Um. Do…" She swallowed nervously. "You have Maggie, right? I dropped her off here… last night?"

"No, Tanya." Her eyes visibly widened and a momentary happiness spread throughout my body, knowing that she had fear in her heart for the possibility that her daughter was not with me, but somewhere that Tanya had forgotten her. "No, you didn't drop her off. Because I had to pick her up from the fucking street after you left her in a fucking _bar_. God knows what could have happened if she didn't call me…" I shook my head and my jaw tightened.

Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I really didn't mean to, B. But, where's my princess, anyway? I wanna take her to the park today."

I shook my head. "No. You need to cool off. Go lie down and take a breather or something," I said firmly. Tanya's eyes instantly narrowed. "Um… _what_? Bella, Maggie is not your daughter. She's mine, which means you cannot _dictate_ when I get to see her or not." I was about to retaliate, because she had the audacity to call herself Maggie's mom, but Tanya pushed passed me and into the house. "Maggie, baby? We're leaving!"

Maggie came from out the kitchen, where she had been eating a snack. She had Roscoe hanging from her arms and an angry scowl on her face. Tanya grinned and crouched down next to her, opening her arms for a hug, but Maggie quickly stepped back. The grin on Tanya's face immediately dropped, as did her arms. "Baby? What's wrong?"

"You left me," Maggie said. "All alone in that bar with big, scary men and it stunk so bad! I was crying and I called you, but you already left me."

Tanya shook her head. "Sweetie, I only went to the bathroom, okay? I went to the bathroom and you must have wandered out before I got out."

Maggie shook her head fiercely. "I went into the bathroom! You weren't there."

"Baby. I _promise_ I was. I just had my headphones in, so I couldn't hear when you yelled at me. I was looking for you all night, did you know that? I was so scared."

Maggie faltered for a bit, still a little doubtful. I shook my head angrily and hobbled over to them. "Tanya," I hissed. Tanya threw me a look before glaring back at Maggie. "Look, baby. You didn't see me, but I was there. Now, let's go. Say goodbye to Bella and put that dog down."

Tanya pulled Roscoe from Maggie's grip and then grasped her arm tightly. Maggie instantly started pulling back and crying. "No! No, I wanna stay with Bella!"

My heart broke, seeing Tanya drag her across the living room and towards the door, and it hurt just staring there watching. "Bella, please don't let her take me," Maggie pleaded. "Please!"

"Bella is not your mom, _I_ am," Tanya said. She scooped Maggie up and Maggie wailed and thrashed. Tears threatened to spill as I hurried after them, as much as I could with a fucked up ankle, reaching for Maggie. "Tanya! Just hold up a minute. She doesn't want to go."

"Do I give a fuck, Bella?" Tanya threw an icy glare my way. "She is my fucking daughter! Not yours - _mine_. You babysit occasionally, but she is my daughter and you need to fucking realize that."

Her statement was finalized when she put Maggie in the backseat of her car, hopped in the front, and then sped off. Once she did, I instantly felt the panic begin to sink in. I brought my hand up to my chest, feeling a deep ache spread beneath my fingertips as tears gathered at the corner of my eyes.

…

"What a _bitch_."

Edward saying bitch was probably the highlight of my day. I couldn't help but giggle at how adorable the word sounded with his accent and the peeved look darkening his face. "I know," I said. The restaurant was pretty empty tonight, which was surprising since it was a Saturday night. I was still on medical leave, but Rose seemed okay with me sitting behind the bar with Edward as he served stray customers. "And the worst thing? I don't think she realizes how wrong she is. I would call the cops if I knew Maggie wouldn't be affected in anyway, but you know how that shit goes. I'm not her legal guardian."

"And yet, from what I've seen, you are more of a mum to Maggie than her real one is," Edward commented. "Do you know her father?"

I snorted. "The ass signed away his rights as soon as Maggie was born."

"I see." Edward frowned at the bar top, the mood suddenly turning sour.

"Hey, so you're about to get off, right?" I asked. Edward nodded and I grinned. "Great. Wanna go somewhere after?"

"Yeah. Where?"

"Hmm… are you feeling some McDonalds?"

…

I never knew someone could eat a Big Mac so eloquently, until the moment I sat across from Edward. When he noticed me staring, he started laughing and gave me a questioning look. "Do I have something on my face?"

"You do, actually. You have a bit too much hotness for me to simply ignore, which is why I'm gawking at you like a total spaz," I told him playfully. He covered his mouth with his hand so he could chuckle. "I would say the same thing, yet I'd like to believe I'm a little subtler when I'm admiring your looks."

I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt. I haven't felt this way in so long, it felt like having my first crush all over again, only this time I could speak easily with him and maybe sneak a kiss or two.

"So, tell me more about England?" I propped my head on my hands as I asked the question. Edward scratched his jaw. "Ah… what would you like to know?"

"I don't know. Family? Friends? Oh, how about soccer since you're such a big hotshot at that." I grinned to show him that I was joking.

"Hm. Well, I lived not too far from my mum and dad," he shared. "And I told you about my brother Jasper. Friends… I had a few, I still keep in touch with some of my mates, like Peter and Tyler. And football, well, it's not much to say. Like I said before, I played on a U21 team for about a year."

"But you _have_ to have some funny team stories to tell," I insisted.

Edward looked up, thinking, before his eyes lit up and they snapped back to mine. "Well, once, during a cookout, my mates and I went running down this random field _completely_ starkers," he said, laughing. I raised an eyebrow. "Starkers?"

"Naked," he informed me. "Like _stark_ -naked."

"Ohhh," I dragged out, then started giggling, but more so at his British lingo than anything. "You know, I could listen to you speak for ages. You should see if they have any jobs made specifically for people with accents – I bet you can make somebody orgasm with it." As soon as I said the words, my eyes widened, but Edward just started to laugh. "Sorry," I giggled. "That just came out."

"No, I'm glad you think my accent is sexy enough to initiate an orgasm," he said, still laughing. "But, I could say the same for you, you know. American accents are sexy, but yours is perhaps the best one I've encountered."

"How so?"

"Well, your voice is a little bit raspy, so when you speak words, it's really wonderful to hear. Especially when it just tapers off into the air. It reminds me of Scarlett Johansson."

I tried not to open my mouth too wide or laugh too loud when he said this. "Very poetic, Edward. And I have to admit, that's the first time I've ever been compared to Scarlett Johansson. Tell me I look like her and I just might have to jump your bones later." I was kidding, of course. I'd jump Edward's bones even _without_ such a ridiculous lie.

"No, you don't look like Scarlett Johansson. You look like Bella – and I'd prefer that to anything," Edward said. I just about melted at his words and ducked my head when I felt my cheeks bloom with heat. "Now you're _really_ just yanking my chain."

"Nah, just telling the truth," he said, and at that moment I didn't realize that I could like Edward more than I already did, but the force of it slammed my heart against my chest and made it impossible to look away from his gaze. I pushed up from my seat on the bench and pressed a kiss firmly against his lips, not really caring if the table was digging into my stomach or that I had to awkwardly maneuver my hands into the air to grasp his hair. Kissing Edward was like jumping off a cliff or diving head first into the sea – it felt crazy, but good all at the same time.

I pulled away a little bit, my eyes still closed as I whispered against his lips, "You must have some type of flaw. Something that will make me stop wanting to tie you up in my house and keep you there."

His chuckle was low and throaty and vibrated against my fingers. "Well, I can't say I know how to whistle," he murmured.

"That's fine. I'm sure I can find other things for your mouth to do."

And then we were kissing again, me uncaring of our blatant public display of affection and unabashed in how quickly I was falling for this guy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Author's Note: _Hi guys! Thanks to everyone whose been reviewing and putting this story into their favorites! Reviews are kind low though... it would be really amazing if when you finished the chapter, you could maybe drop a short review :) It could be one word, an exclamation mark, a little smiley face, anything you like! I just want to know how everyone is reacting to the story, like if you hate it or if you like it. Thank you in advance if you decide to put a smile on my face and review! I'm going to start replying to reviews after this chapter as well, just so you know how much I appreciate them! :) But seriously, whether you have some criticism that I need to hear or you just want to say "cool story", I'm all for it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!_

Disclaimer: (do we really even need these though?) I do not own Twilight

...

"So, things with you and Edward are getting serious?"

I looked up from my mug of coffee at Alice. She had on her running gear, while I had just thrown on a pair of holey sweats and an old university tee for the morning. My anger for her stealing my sheets and pulling me out of the bed at seven this morning had almost completely dissipated since a cup of coffee had been waiting for me when I dragged myself into the kitchen.

"Uh huh," I mumbled.

"Is my Bella in love? Do I need to give him the talk while I clean my gun and rub my pornstache?"

I raised my eyes up at her, chuckling in amusement as she described my father's way of interrogating my old boyfriends. "No, dad. I think you can sit out on this one." Serious now, I sat down my mug and sighed. "But, honestly… I don't think I've ever felt this way before. Every time I see his face, my stomach starts fluttering and I can't stop smiling. And his eyes… and hair… and body…"

"Alright, I get it, he's like your own person Adonis," she giggled. "But that's great. After what happened with Mike, you really deserve someone great."

Mike was the fucking idiot who I found in such a cliché manner. I was supposed to be at work, but the restaurant was pretty slow at the time, so, wanting to surprised Mike, I left early and went to our apartment just in time to see his pants around his ankles while he was balls deep inside some chick. At first I'd been shocked, but then the anger quickly set in. I started launching books from the bookshelf at the both of them as they tried to pull their clothes on, and when that ran out, I picked up Mike's clothing or anything else in close range while I shouted things I'm usually embarrassed to even think about it. When they had finally managed to throw on all of their clothes and hobble out of the apartment, I had tossed all of his shit out of the window. Later, this proved kind of pointless because his name had been on the lease, which is when I decided to get a house with Alice.

"I just wish I found my own personal piece of man art," she sighed dramatically. "Edward has a brother right?"

"Yeah, but he still lives in England," I chuckled. Alice pouted and rested her head on her hands. "If he shares genes with Edward, I don't think it would be too crazy to travel across seas." I laughed and shook my head. I didn't blame Alice – I hadn't seen a picture of Jasper, but I'm sure the gene pool in their family is perfect.

Our door bell rang and I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face. "Speaking of the devil…"

Before we parted ways last night, Edward said that he would be at my house in the morning with breakfast after his run. When my ankle heals, if he decides to tag along with Alice and I during our runs, I think I'd be one hundred percent less annoyed.

Alice went to open the door and came back a moment later with Edward and a bag from Bakery Nouveau. My nose instantly was delighted with a warm, sugary aroma that had me diving for the bag, regardless of my injury.

"Well, hello to you, too," Edward said with a chuckle while I pulled out some kind of knotted up pastry with strawberry filling, berries and powdered sugar on top. I think I looked a little bit sheepish when I grinned at him with half of the pastry stuffed in my mouth. "Hi, thanks, you are the most amazing man ever." With my mouth full of carbs and sugary goodness, this of course this not sound as coherent as I planned, but Edward didn't seem to mind as he just continued to chuckle.

Eventually, I did let up and Edward offered Alice some food, but she declined since she had just gone on a run. I couldn't stop myself from poking Edward's stomach and holding the bag away disapprovingly. "I think you should follow Alice's example since you just went on a run. But don't worry, I'll keep the pastries safe."

Edward laughed. "Why, so you can blame me when you see you've gained five pounds?" I stuck my tongue out at him and continued to stuff my face unabashedly.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower. Try not to have too much sex on the counter, we still eat in here," Alice snickered. She had to dart quickly out of the kitchen to miss my hand swatting at her body and Edward grinned. "When she said not on the counter, does that mean everywhere else is off limits, too?"

I shoved him playfully, laughing. "You _wish_ I was that easy."

Edward's phone suddenly rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. While licking my fingers clear of strawberry filling, I watched as his eyebrows furrowed before stalking out of the kitchen. I paused mid-lick, seeing for a moment if he would come back, but when he didn't, I grabbed my crutches and hobbled after him. "Edward? Everything okay?"

"Uh," he mumbled distractedly. He looked up at my briefly before his eyes darted back to his phone. "Bella, I'll meet up with you later, okay? I, uh, need to go take care of something." Before I could say goodbye or really even react to this sudden change in mood, he was out the door and his car was pulling out the driveway. I understand if it was an emergency, or whatever, but I don't get why he couldn't have _said_ that before just hightailing out like his ass was on fire. I figured I would just call him a little later to see what was going on and if I could comfort him in anyway.

By nine, Edward hadn't answered any of my calls. I didn't want to blow his phone up in fear of looking like some psycho girl who is getting way too attached, but I was getting pretty worried. He left so quickly and looked really distressed – what if something happened?

"He's _fine_ ," Alice stressed. "I mean, you can't conclude that someone got into a car accident just because they left quickly. Remember that time I forgot my phone at the market and you thought I got into a car crash and died? Maybe he left it somewhere. Or forgot to feed his dog."

"Edward doesn't have a dog," I said, then paused, because I had actually never been to his house, so he _could_ have a dog. "Well, he never talks about one. And if he did forget to feed his dog, I'm sure he wouldn't be ignoring my calls." I frowned. "But I hope you're right about him leaving his phone."

"Edward's a nice guy, from what I've seen. He's taken you to the hospital, goes to the fucking zoo with you – which would be a date if it were just you and him, but you had Maggie – and he brings you carb-filled sweets early in the morning." Alice paused. "He seems a little too perfect, actually."

"He does," I groaned, then scrubbed my hands up and down my face. I was already majorly attached to this guy, yet in some way it still felt like I did not really know him. "I think I'm getting too attached."

"I think so, too," Alice agreed. "How about we go out?"

I scrunched my nose up. "Just because I say I'm getting attached doesn't mean I want to go kiss other guys." I looked down at my fucked up ankle. "Besides. I have this shit to worry about."

"Who said anything about kissing other guys? We can go to the movies or something."

I thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. I needed something to get my mind off of it. "Okay."

…

Alice and I ended up going to see a new romantic comedy in the theaters and then lounged at home watching reruns of _Grey's Anatomy_ afterwards, but none of that really got my mind off of Edward and him disappearing like that. After spending so much time with Edward, I'd been pretty down for a few days. He still hadn't contacted me, but I ditched my moping about a week ago. Maybe he wasn't as amazing as I'd originally thought he was. On top of all of that, Tanya hadn't called me or answered any of my calls. I was tempted to visit her house and see how Maggie was doing, but decided against it. If she was still mad, I needed to let her cool down because Tanya was ridiculously reckless when she really wanted to be. To sum it all up, my week had been practically nothing but shitty.

The only highlight, really, was when I got my splint off. It's been about two and half weeks and my leg was finally free. The doctor said I shouldn't be too strenuous in my physical activity, not that I really partake in any, unless you count me walking to the fridge every hour. It took about a day for me to actually come back to work, where I was surprised that Edward hadn't been in for two weeks, but relieved in a way. He hadn't just disappeared on me, he did it to everyone.

"Did he say where he was going?" I asked Emmett, hating how much the worry was etched into my tone.

"He told Rose he had an emergency, but didn't specify or say how long he'd be gone for. She already hired a new bartender," he told me, shrugging.

"Wow," I mumbled. "I wonder what happened."

"I'm surprised you don't know. You guys were pretty close," he said. I shrugged while tying on my apron. "I only knew him for a few weeks. I guess I just didn't know him well enough."

Work was pretty uneventful, thankfully. Rose kept making sure I was okay and had me take a few breaks throughout the night, but I was honestly fine and happy to get back to the usual grind. My eyes wandered one too many times towards the bar, but other than that, I tried really hard not to think of Edward. It hurt a little bit, of course, but I wouldn't let it get to me at work. If Edward didn't really care about me, I'd try to do the same, no matter how sharp his jawline was or the color of his eyes.

By the end of my shift I felt much better than I did coming in. Work was definitely a welcomed distraction, although Edward did linger in the back of my mind a bit. I said goodbye to everyone before going out to my car. It was raining pretty hard, but I'd stupidly forgotten my umbrella to shield myself from the hard sheets. To make things worse, I didn't think of looking for my keys inside the restaurant and had to shift through my purse until I found them trapped in the very bottom. I pulled the keys out and hastily opened my car door before depositing myself onto the seat.

My phone began ringing and I groaned. I really just wanted to go home.

The number was unknown, but I picked it up anyway. "Hello?" I said, then frowned at the voice on the other end.

...

 _So, the ending seemed a little awkward, but I wanted you to guess whose on the other end. Tell me in a review? Or just tell me if you hated or liked the chapter? Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Wow, thanks so much for the reviews, guys! I guess it goes to show that asking nicely is beneficial :) I really liked the guesses that you guys made. Anyhow, here's chapter 6 and I won't make a huge paragraph begging for reviews again, but it would be awesome if you guys reviewed and tell me what you thought about this chapter. Also, I hope I included everyone in replying to reviews, I'm going to do it again for every chapter. For guest reviewers, I can't reply to your reviews so: thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

...

"Hi, is this Bella?" a lady asked on the phone.

"Um, yeah, this is her."

"Well, this is Hannah's mom. Maggie wants to go home now for some reason. I don't think she's enjoying the sleepover much, so…"

"She wants to go home?" I repeated, confused. I could hear the annoyance in her voice as she spoke again, "Yes. I'm not sure why, but she's upset and won't tell me. Do you need my address again?"

"Uh…" I scratched the side of my head. "Yeah, I seem to have lost it from earlier." I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but it seemed like this woman thought that I was Maggie's mom. Why wasn't she calling Tanya?

"Okay, well, I'll give you it again. When will you pick her up?"

"As soon as possible, I suppose," I told her as I rubbed my temples. I had been so ready to go straight home. Hannah's mom told me the address and I plugged it into my GPS before hanging up. I immediately dialed Tanya's number, but it went straight to voice mail, unsurprisingly. "Great," I groaned. I banged my head against the headrest a couple of times before taking a few deep breaths and backing out of the parking lot.

The house was a good thirty minutes away unfortunately. When I pulled up in front of the large, modernly styled home, the door opened and out came Maggie and who I assumed to be Hannah's mom. Maggie waved bye to the woman before running to the car. When she opened the door and slid in, I silently pulled off.

After a few moments, I spoke. "So. Why didn't you call your mom?" I glanced briefly at her to see her arms crossed and a hood pulled tightly over her head. "I didn't wanna see her. I didn't even wanna come. I told her that."

"Mags, you can't just do that," I said. "She's your mom." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Why'd you want to leave anyway?"

"I don't like those girls. They're mean and I told mom that, but she didn't care. She just wanted to go out with her stupid band."

When I stopped at a red light, I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "If you don't like them, how'd you know they were having a sleepover, anyway?"

"It was Hannah's birthday and Hannah's mom called to see if I wanted to come," Maggie said, shrugging.

"I'm sorry, Mags. It's okay now, though, right?"

"I guess," she mumbled. I sighed and pulled off when the light turned green.

When we pulled up to my house, I pulled Maggie under my arm so she wouldn't get too wet and hurried us inside. We were immediately greeted by an excited Roscoe, who began jumping at her feet as we stepped inside. When I went to pull Maggie's hood off, she jerked away quickly and held the brim of her hood so that it would stay in place as a panicked look washed over her face. "No! Don't take it off… my head is cold."

"Mags, you gotta take a hoodie off, it's wet. It's gonna make you even _colder_ ," I told her. When I reached for it again, she stepped back and I frowned. "What's wrong? Why won't you take it off?" She shrugged while toeing off her sneakers and dropping her bag onto the floor before walking over to the couch and sitting down. I sat my purse down and pulled off my own shoes before sitting next to her. "Mags?" I said.

She sighed heavily before unleashing her grip on her hoodie and pulling it off. I gasped when I saw that her hair, which had been in two pony tails, now had one side that was jaggedly severed off very close to the scalp. "Oh, no. Maggie, who did this?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. They did it while I was sleeping. When I woke up to go to the bathroom, I saw that my hair was cut."

"Hannah's mom didn't say anything?"

"I didn't tell her," she mumbled.

"Mags." I pulled her into a hug and rested my chin on her head. "You should've told her." When she shrugged, I sighed and stood, bringing her with me. "Okay. Come on, let's go fix your hair."

I grabbed a pair of scissors and Maggie and I went into the bathroom. I managed to straighten out the length on the severed part of her hair, but unfortunately that made it about chin-length. "You ready?" I asked when it got time to cut the other half. She nodded and I started to snip away. Her curly hair fell away onto the floor below until there was a large pile. I stepped back when I made the last cut and smiled. "You know what? I think you look gorgeous." Maggie bit the inside of her cheek and looked at me skeptically.

Since she was too short to reach the mirror, I lifted her up onto the vanity and let her see for herself. When her eyes caught her reflection, she reached up to touch the ends and smiled. "I… like it. I didn't want to look like a boy, but I don't."

"Nope," I smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear. "You look like a girl, and a very pretty one at that. Not too bad for my first haircut, huh?"

She turned to me quickly with wide eyes. "That was you first time? Bella!" She shoved my shoulder playfully and started to laugh. I laughed with her and helped her down. "It looks nice though, doesn't it?"

She grinned up at me. "I love it. I should send a picture to those bitches."

I opened my mouth, ready to reprimand her for cursing, but then realized that it was actually a good idea and really, she's just being honest. I grinned and pulled out my phone. "You have their numbers?"

"No, but we can use Instagram. I know their usernames!" she exclaimed excitedly, while all I could think about was how seven-year-olds are freely allowed to use social media. Maggie giggled and we used my phone to shoot off the pictures. I didn't care how immature I was being, if anyone messed with Maggie, I wasn't just gonna sit down watching.

"Is that Maggie?" Alice came to the bathroom door, yawning. "All the giggling woke me up. What's up?"

"Nothing. Mags got a new haircut, you like it?"

Alice's eyebrows rose and she touched the ends. "Yeah, it's pretty." Her eyes met mine, confused, and I sighed, squeezing Maggie's shoulder. "I'll tell you later," I mouthed to her. Then, normally, I said, "Hey, so how about we have our own sleepover, huh?"

Maggie's eyes widened and she started jumping up and down excitedly. "Yeah!"

I grabbed a couple of movies, some snacks from the kitchen, and make up. Maggie loves to mess my face up with that shit, but it makes her happy, so I let her do it.

We ended up watching two movies, while stuffing our faces with unhealthy shit and slathering make up on each other. The night ended with a pillow fight that I've decided I won, before we fell asleep not too long after.

…

Around eleven, my phone woke me up. I groaned as I sat up, hating deeply whoever was calling me after I went to sleep at five in the morning. Without looking at the caller ID, I answered with a sleepy, yawn-interrupted, "hello".

"Bella?"

My eyes instantly widened and I sat up straighter. "Edward?"

"Yeah. Hey."

I was frozen for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. I ran a hand through my hair and gripped the edges as my emotions started to swell up inside of me. "Edward. What… what the fuck… what happened?"

"Look, it's a lot to explain, and I really rather see you when I say it," he said.

"You rather see me?" I repeated in disbelief, my voice a little higher than I wanted. Alice and Maggie were still asleep, so I stood and walked to the kitchen. "I'm not sure if I want to see you. I can't believe… you just _disappeared_ , Edward. I need more than that before you come see me."

He sighed. "I don't really know how to explain. I had to go back to London to see my family – it was an emergency. I left my phone in the States, at my apartment. I would've called you Bella, honestly, but I didn't remember your number. You know… modern technology makes us lazy." He tried to joke, but I wasn't really humored. I had been worried and angry and those feelings still resided in the back of my mind.

I rubbed my temples and stayed quiet while gnawing on my bottom lip. "Okay. Alright, I'll see you… later today. Around three."

"Okay. Thank you, Bella."

"I'll see you at three," I repeated, then hung up. As soon as I hung up, my phone started to ring again. "Are you kidding me," I groaned. Tanya was calling. I considered ignoring, but decided against it and answered. "Hello?"

"Bella, why did Hannah's mom say that you had Maggie when I went to pick her up? She thought that you were her _mom_ ," Tanya said heatedly.

"Maggie said that, so don't think I marched over there announcing I was her mother. I picked her up because Maggie gave Hannah's mom my number because she wanted _me_ to pick her up. Besides, when I called you last night, you didn't even answer. Do you know what those girls did to her?"

"I don't care. What I do care about is the fact that you think you can just take over my job like Maggie is your daughter."

My eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't have to if you actually _did_ your fucking job."

I ended the call at that point, which is when I noticed Alice hovering at the kitchen arch. I gave her an exhausted look as she walked in. "Well. Edward just called. And Tanya is the biggest bitch ever."

Alice paused on her way to the sink and swiveled around to face me. "We already knew that about Tanya. But _Edward_ called?"

I leaned against the counter and threw my head back. "Yup. He was in London for a family emergency. He said he'd be over at three to tell me more."

"Wow," Alice said. "Do you believe him?"

"I mean, I guess so. It's still super weird that he didn't even call me. I mean, he said he left his phone before he left, but he could've called before his plane. Or, if not me, then Rose. She gave his job away," I said, frowning. I was still so confused. It made sense, yet at the same time… it didn't. He must've been flustered and all over the place from whatever the family emergency was, but to just up and leave without so much as a word? The best word I can come up for it all is… awkward.

"Well, I really hope that _emergency_ was a good one. Otherwise, he's going to be next to Tanya on my shit list."

I laughed and shoved her shoulder lightly. Speaking of Tanya…

"Oh, so Tanya just called. Maggie was at a sleepover last night with some mean girls, so Maggie gave the girl's mother my phone number to pick her up," I said as I massaged my temples. "She's so angry. She'll be over soon, I guess."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I don't understand her. Most of Maggie's life, she's never been so opposed to you watching her. What changed?"

"I guess it has to do with why Maggie decided to call me instead of her last night," I said quietly before pushing away from the counter. "Whatever. I'll go get her ready for when Tanya comes."

Tanya came about fifteen minutes later. She looked terrible, like she'd been drinking already even though it wasn't even noon yet. Her clothes were incredibly wrinkled and she smelled like musky, old cigarettes. She actually went to Hannah's house like that? It also looked like she'd been crying, because her eyes were dark with smeared eyeliner and tinged slightly red. Before she could march into the house and take Maggie, I stopped her. Knowing Tanya for so long, I knew that something was very different. She hadn't always been there for Maggie in the past, but it was never this bad. Maggie never turned away from her mother and Tanya had never seemed so angry until recently. We've known each other since we were young, and I wasn't ready to give up our friendship without a reason why.

"Tanya," I said quietly. She looked at me sharply. "What's going on?"

"What's going on?" she repeated, an incredulous tone at the tip of her voice. "If you can't see why I'm upset right now, you're fucking crazy. Maggie! Come on, let's go."

She pushed past me and I followed after her. Maggie was in the living room where I'd left her playing with Roscoe on the floor.

"Maggie, I know you heard me. We have to go, I gotta get ready for a show soon," Tanya said impatiently. "Let's _go_."

"Can I just stay while you go to your gig? I don't wanna hear the music," Maggie pleaded. Tanya shook her head, but Maggie went on. "Please, mom. _Please_."

"I said we have to fucking go, Maggie!" Tanya barked, startling both me and Maggie. Alice emerged from the kitchen to see what was going on as Maggie hopped up immediately and went over to her mother. I watched in irritation, but was unable to really do anything, just like last time. Tanya grabbed Maggie's hand and yanked her through my door for the second time, a little bit too rough for my liking. I grabbed Roscoe before he could run out the door after them and watched as Tanya put Maggie in the car before jumping in herself and driving off.

After closing the door and setting Roscoe down, I turned to see Alice giving me a look. "What?" I snapped.

"Nothing… nothing," she insisted, then disappeared back into the kitchen. I sighed loudly and plopped down onto the couch.

...

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N: The reviews again were really awesome! They keep me writing and keep me motivated - just a little incentive if you like to read this story! :) I have nearly 200 followers, which I see as something so great because that means that 200 people want to come back each time I update and read my story! And 90 favorites? That may seem small to some, but that's a lot for me! So thank you guys... seriously. I love that you guys are favoring and following, it would be amazing if you favorites, followed _and_ reviewed! :) Authors on this site like to hear feedback about their writing, whether it be criticism, good comments, bad comments - literally anything.

Moving on... enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Alice had work today, but I didn't, so I was bored at home after she left for work. I did some long overdue house work, took a shower and watched TV as my eyes practically stayed glued to the clock. When it was around 2:45, I stopped what I was doing and hurried upstairs to throw on something that was at least half decent. I was still a little peeved at Edward, but it's not like he did it on purpose. He didn't have his phone with him and I'm sure he would have called if he did.

At exactly 3:05, there was a knock on the door. I wasted no time to hurry to the door and yank it open. Edward stood there, looking completely… non-Edwardy. His clothes were creased and his face completely disgruntled.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my stunned demeanor to a minimum. "Uh… come in."

I walked him over to the couch, where Roscoe greeted him eagerly by jumping on his lap and reaching up to lap at his face. Edward cracked a tiny smile before removing Roscoe and placing him on the floor.

"So," I breathed out.

"I don't know where to begin," he said honestly, furrowing his eyebrows lightly as if he were in deep thought. "The call I received was from my brother back in England – you know, Jasper. He told me that…" Edward paused, an anxious look suddenly shrouding the expanse of his face and I tried to keep my posture relaxed, but his expression was simply too hard to ignore. "His… his fiancé tried to commit suicide," he murmured. I sat back, stunned. "Her name is Kate. She's been a family friend for a long time and it was just…. devastating. She took a bunch of pills and locked herself into her bedroom. When my brother found her, it was almost too late. My whole family was distraught and when he told me, so was I."

"Oh, wow… Edward. I'm really sorry to hear that," I said sincerely, reaching outwards to cover his hand with mine. He looked down and I hated the somewhat defeated look on his face. I took my other hand and gently placed it on his chin to lift his head up so he could look at me and tried to make my face as reassuring as possible. "I'll always be here, if you need to talk about it."

"It's great to hear you say that," he said, a smile on his face as I dropped my hand.

"By the time you left, was she alright?"

"She was doing… okay, I suppose. She's still depressed, of course, but I also think she's grateful to have survived that," he informed me as a pensive look grew on his face. "It was almost like it was her… call for help."

"I'm glad she's okay," I said timidly, and then, contritely, I shared, "I feel bad now for being angry at you while you were gone."

"No, you had every right to think that I was the biggest arse on the planet," he chuckled. "But it's behind us, isn't it? Let's talk about something else."

"Are you sure? Some people say I have some big ass ears, so, literally, I am all ears for anything you want to get off your chest," I told him playfully. Edward laughed lightly and shook his head, causing the wild mane of red and brown that he calls hair to flap endearingly. Lit with happiness and some relief, I couldn't contain myself as I leaned forward and pressed my lips hard to his. He seemed a little surprised at first, but it only lasted a short second before he was kissing me back just as eagerly.

"I missed this," I breathed against his lips when I pulled back a bit. I'd only really had a small taste of Edward before he left, but kissing him now made me realize a small taste was definitely something I wanted to savor and keep it tucked into my memory for as long as it would stay.

"I missed it too," he said back lightly, his words a pleasant whisper against my lips. I shivered and pulled myself closer to him as we resumed kissing. It turned into a fierce battle between him and I of wet, demanding tongues to claim dominance. Edward had clearly won as he gently pushed me backwards until my back hit the armrest and he was hovering over me, his kiss causing my body to ignite in ways that set a hum throughout my whole body and caused my thighs to clench. My fingers wove their way into his silky hair as our kiss somehow deepened even more and his hand ghosted over the sides of my stomach and thighs.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" I asked breathily when I inched away from his lips with a reluctant pace. Edward stared at me, his breaths coming out in long, hard pants and a hint of indecisiveness creeping onto his face. "No?" I asked, frowning. I could feel his erection digging into the bottom of my stomach and the heat between my legs was almost glaringly uncomfortable.

I watched, disgruntled, when he sat back and dropped down onto the couch. Worried now, I moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Edward, what's wrong?"

"Nothing… nothing, I just…" He looked at me and I swallowed at the pain in his eyes. "This just might be a little too fast," he said. "I mean, I feel like such an arsehole for just stopping us like this…"

"No, I get it," I assured him, despite the fire between my legs. "You're completely right."

He nodded and looked down, making me do the same as somewhat of an awkward silence closed over us. It only broke when Roscoe was suddenly up on the couch again, yapping his head off. I reached to scratch behind his obnoxiously large ears and smiled past the stain of rejection permeating the air. "You hungry?"

"Starving, actually," Edward pipped. I laughed and shook my head. "I was talking to the dog, you dork."

After putting out some food for Roscoe, Edward and I decided to go out to eat somewhere. I was fine with McDonald's, and so was my back account, but Edward insisted on taking me somewhere better and stated that he would pay. We wound up taking his car and he drove us to an Italian restaurant near downtown Seattle, where we found ourselves a table and ordered.

While waiting for our food, I decided to brush up on my British colloquialism, which Edward pleasantly went along with. I had pulled up a website on my phone with different British slang words and was seeing if Edward knew them or ever used them before. He said he tried not to use his conversational, everyday British talk that he would use freely at home because a lot of Americans would either be confused or pretend to know what he was talking about.

"Okay, so… what about… _barmy_ ," I said, my eyes bouncing back up to him in excitement. We were also keeping score of how many he knew. If he got less than half of them correct, he'd have to bring me stuff from the bakery every morning for the next week. If he won, I'd have to go out with him tomorrow, but I don't really consider myself a loser in that scenario.

Edward chuckled and sipped some of his water. "Crazy," he said with a wide grin. "For example… you'd have to be pretty barmy to think I'm actually going to lose this."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I grumbled playfully. "Okay… how about bladdered?"

He frowned. "Bladdered? You're sure you're reading that right?" He leaned forward to see my phone screen, but I quickly pulled away and slammed my phone to my chest with playful and unnecessary urgency.

"Uh-uh – stop trying to cheat. And don't question my literacy skills – of course it says bladdered!" I said, lightheartedly offended. Edward laughed and held his hands up. "Okay, fine. The website you're using is complete rubbish, just so you know."

I giggled and shook my head. "Whatever, loser. That's another point for me." I scrolled through the list to find another word. "Hmm… how about bonk?"

"Bonk?" he said, his eyes lit with amusement. "Like… I can't wait to bonk you?"

I snorted. "That sounds so vicious. Here, we say it like, 'I'm going to bonk you on the head with this baseball bat' – it doesn't usually refer to having sex," I said. "And just say the words, because… I can't wait to bonk you, either." His eyes glinted a little as I said this and I _knew_ he wanted it as much as I did, yet he stopped us earlier for some reason.

"How about we switch things up?" Edward said as he pulled his phone out. "I'm sure I can find some American slang to throw at you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Same bet?" When he nodded, I shrugged and grinned at him confidently. "Alright. Bring it on."

My confidence quickly wavered however when Edward shot me with a few unfamiliar phrases, like 'pass the buck', 'going Dutch', 'bought the farm', 'Monday morning quarterback' – things like that. Who even said that shit in America? Edward ended up winning, but the only thing hurt was my pride. I was undeniably excited for our date tomorrow.

When our food came, we talked about random things. He told me about how it had been nice to be back in England for that short period of time and seeing his family again. I wonder if he missed it enough to ever go back – but when the question formed in my mind, I was a little bit too scared to ask. I'd just gotten him back, I didn't want to think about him leaving again in the near future.

We stayed at the restaurant a little longer than intended, but I'm glad we did. Even though he'd been gone for almost three weeks, we just clicked right back into place, like nothing ever happened. I was glad he wasn't too saddened about his friend's depression, although he did have time while in England to properly grieve. I thought about how he must've felt – how he still must feel. If Alice ever tried to do something like that, I wouldn't really know how to cope.

* * *

"So, have you heard from Tanya lately? Or Maggie?" Alice asked as we sat for our routine Grey's Anatomy rerun session on our day off. I sighed and shook my head. "Nope. I called her yesterday, but she didn't answer. I'm just really worried about Maggie… Tanya looked terrible when she left."

"I know, I saw," Alice said, frowning. "Which is why I don't understand why you haven't called the police. She's starting to get a little scary, Bella. This could turn serious – actually, it _already_ seems serious."

"If I called the police, where would that leave Maggie with no other family? In the system? She doesn't deserve that," I argued. Tanya became the estranged family member when she became pregnant with Maggie so young. Her parents wanted her to give Maggie up for adoption and then go to college, but Tanya wanted neither. When she left her family, I was the only one left. I miss it - having that bond with her that seemed to be impenetrable at the time. Yet, Tanya soon steered off into a different direction when she created her band and I wasn't prepared to jump into the passenger seat next to her.

Alice narrowed her eyes at my statement. "Does she deserve what she's getting _now_? Tanya barged into our house high off some shit and you just let her go with Maggie. I'm sure there's a way for you to fight for custody. I don't know how the system works, but I'm sure they'd rather Maggie go with you than worrying about trying to place her… anywhere would be better than living with Tanya for Maggie. If you don't call… then I will, Bella. One of us needs to think rationally."

I leaned my head back against the couch and let the truth of her words simmer inside my mind. She was right – Tanya's behavior was borderline abusive and rang so many alarm bells. It would be so easy to report her to the authorities, but how easy would it be to make sure Maggie doesn't get swallowed up in the system? The prospect of her being alone and scared out of her mind was something I was scared to think about.

"I'm just scared," I whispered selfishly, y brain reeling with things that could go wrong. "…that if I let her go, I won't get her back."

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This was short because next chapter will be an important one, but it gave you guys some answers... what are your thoughts on them? Don't forget to review - perhaps I'll update early if there's a lot of reviews ;)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Please read the bottom if you'd like - it explains some things on a popular opinion among you guys!

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Chapter 8

Alice seemed sympathetic about how I felt towards Tanya and Maggie's situation, but she told me that she would still report Tanya if I didn't. I asked for her to give me time to look into how the foster system works to ensure that Maggie would be another one of those kids growing up in the system. This seems to ease her, but she was still extremely wary, understandably. I was too.

After Edward's return, things were surprisingly easy with him. Rose, after hearing his story and having a night to think about employing him again, finally relented with a deathly warning. She stated that if he ever left so abruptly like that again without alerting her in some kind of way, she would not hesitate to fire him. Edward seemed incredibly guilty and I had to bite my tongue not to say anything to Rose. He was really distraught – anyone could have reacted the same way and it's easy to leave a cell phone behind when you're moving so quickly and anxiously.

It felt good working with Edward again and being able to look back towards the bar to always see him smiling my way. He made me incredibly happy, and I think I made him happy too, which was why I was so confused about why he doesn't want to get into my pants.

I brought it up to Alice about two weeks or so after Edward came back as we sat watching Greys Anatomy and eating from tubs of Ben and Jerry ice cream. Despite trying to get us both naked multiple times, he still won't budge. He takes me out a few times a week, brings me breakfast every day and kisses me usually until I'm dizzy, but whenever I try to take my shirt off or reach for his belt buckle, he immediately stops what we're doing or suggests we should slow it down.

When I told all of this to Alice, she brooded over the information for a few moments. "You think he's a virgin?" she asked.

"At twenty-nine?" I said, eyebrows raised. "Well, I think thirty now… I didn't really clarify on his birthday."

"Damn," Alice laughed. "You're right, though. No way is a hot, thirty-year-old, British guy a virgin. There has to be something else." She tapped her chin before turning to me. "Okay. He probably has a small dick."

"Alice!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at her head. She ducked and the pillow landed right beside Roscoe, who jumped at the sudden appearance of the pillow before beginning to bark and paw at the fabric. Alice shrugged. "What? He could be embarrassed or whatever."

"No, trust me. I felt it a lot when we kiss… and it is _definitely_ not small." I put a lot of emphasis on the 'definitely' and Alice just snorted. "And he can get it up, obviously, so he shouldn't be embarrassed about that. I really don't understand. Shouldn't guys _want_ to fuck? I'm basically holding a beacon up to my vagina and he just refuses to see it."

"Sure," Alice said, shrugging and shoveling a big scoop of ice cream into her mouth. "But some are also perfect gentlemen and feel like they should wait until the timing is right. If you don't like it, tell him."

"I feel like I'm being pretty obvious about my intentions when I try to take off my shirt and practically dry hump him for thirty minutes straight," I told her miserably.

Alice's spoon nearly fell out of her mouth. " _Thirty_ minutes?"

"I know – it's torture," I groused.

"No, I mean, he can last for thirty minutes with you dry humping over his tiny Edward," she elaborated. I rolled my eyes. "Again – not tiny. And I said _practically_ – the dry humping is usually accompanied by him lifting me off his lap and then me climbing back on five minutes later."

"Oh," Alice chuckled. "Well… I'll stick to my theory about the small dick. He could be stuffing socks in there, for all we know."

This time when I threw a pillow, she wasn't able to dodge it.

…

Instead of going insane about why Edward didn't want to sleep with me, I decided take Alice's advice and ask him when he came over to my house the next day. He started routinely coming over so we could hang out before work.

We were heatedly kissing about twenty minutes after he walked into the door and I had found myself in Edward's lap again. I made a move to take my shirt off, but when Edward saw what I was doing, he stopped me immediately. A bit angrily, I jerked my lips away from his and stared down at him with a stormy and painfully horny look. The combination was definitely not pleasant. I wanted some great, mind-blowing sexing, damn it. "Why do you keep stopping me?" I demanded irritably. I saw him visibly swallow and he opened him mouth to speak before my phone began to ring.

"Fuck," I grumbled. I dismounted his lap and grabbed my phone from the small table beside the couch. Tanya was calling me. An intense, sharp feeling of anticipation swept through me as I hastily jammed my finger down on the phone to answer it.

"Hello?"

I was expecting Tanya, but Maggie's meek voice is what greeted me. "Bella?"

I frowned at the scared tone covering her voice. "Mags, what's up?"

"Something's wrong with my mom," she said wearily. "She won't move or wake up."

I immediately was alert and shoving my feet into my shoes with an abrupt haste. "Alright, Maggie. Do you know how to tell if a person is breathing?"

"Um… they're lungs?" she guessed.

"Good girl," I appraised. Edward had gotten the gist of the matter and was standing up and pulling his shoes on as well. We were out the door in about a minute and I was driving towards Tanya's house with little regard to the speed limit. "You're going to see if your mom's still breathing by seeing if her lungs are letting in air. I want you to look to see if her chest is moving up and down and if you can't see that very well, I need you to listen over her mouth and nose for breathing sounds or if you can feel her breath."

There was silence as Maggie did what I instructed her to do. When she came back to the phone about twenty seconds later, I breathed a sigh of relief when she said she could see and feel that Tanya was still breathing. "Okay, good," I whispered. "Great job. I'm on my way with Edward. Did you call the police?"

"Mom says not to call if she doesn't wake up, so that's why I called you," Maggie mumbled. I frowned and shook my head. Why would Tanya tell her that? "I'm going to call the police, Maggie – "

"But mom will be mad!" she cried out. "She said they'll take me away to a bad place."

"That's not true, Mags. Do you think I would let someone take you away? I need to call 911 so they can take your mom to the hospital and fix her up.

"Okay…" she mumbled, not sounding too happy.

"I'm going to keep you on the phone and call 911 with Edward's phone, alright? Just stay with your mom and keep checking on her breathing."

"Alright."

Edward handed me his phone and I gave the information to the police about Tanya. I'm assuming she overdosed, so I tell them that before the call ends.

When we pull up at Tanya's house a few minutes later, I rush out of the car with Edward and tell Maggie to come open the door for us. We hurry to Tanya's body and I gasp at the syringe lying haphazardly by her limp body and a rusty spoon and lighter not too far, either. I crouch down beside her and pulled her hair back from her pale face before bending down to feel her slow and barely-there breaths ghosting against my cheek.

Tears are welling up in my eyes and spilling over before I can really even realize they're there as I think about who Tanya used to be and the person she is now. She used to be so much different – she had goals in life. She wanted to become famous and have international tours. She wanted to win awards and have her music heard. Yet, the people she came to know steered her in a completely different direction, and I just let it happen.

An ambulance came not long after we did. I watched wretchedly as they carried Tanya's seemingly lifeless body into the back of the truck until the doors closed tightly. Maggie was crying and I knew that despite how crappy of a mother Tanya could be, she loved Maggie and Maggie loved her. I picked her up, telling her that everything would be okay, and we all got into the car.

* * *

When five o' clock hit I told Edward he should go to his shift at the restaurant, which he of course refused to listen to.

"Rose is already annoyed with you," I said, trying to keep my voice low. Maggie was sleeping with her head on my lap, finally, after stressing out about her mom. "You have to go. Use my car, then you can come back later and pick us up."

"I don't want to leave you two alone," he said.

"We'll be fine, seriously," I told him, then smiled. "But thank you so much."

"I don't like it… but alright." He kissed me on the lips once before standing. I gave him my keys. "I'll call you when I get off, alright?"

"Okay," I murmured. I watched him leave until he was completely out of my sight before looking down at Maggie and gently stroking her growing hair. I wonder if Tanya even noticed the butchered length when she picked her up after the sleepover.

We ended up waiting for a long while before a doctor wandered out to tell us the news. I hadn't realized how anxious I'd been waiting to see how she was doing, and all of that anxiety gushed out of me when he stated that she's been stabilized and we could now see her.

I gently woke Maggie up and we followed the doctor to Tanya's room. She was lying on the bed, her face slightly less ashen than before, but she still looked sickly. The doctor left and Maggie and I moved over to the bed.

"Hey," Tanya murmured. Her eyes flickered between the two of us, then behind, as if she were looking for someone. Her eyes snapped back to Maggie with a dazed look. "Felix left?"

"Felix?" I said, confused.

"He was with me," Tanya said, her eyes closing briefly. "That son of a bitch."

"When he left I came down the stairs," Maggie informed her. "And then I saw you."

"That fucking coward," she snapped angrily. "I swear to God, I'm going to fucking kill him."

"Tanya," I said. " _We're_ here."

Her eyes opened and the stormy expression that was there slowly melted away and was replaced by one of sadness. Immediately, the tears gathered in her eyes and rolled fast and steadily down her cheeks. "Mom, don't cry," Maggie said and climbed up onto the bed. I helped her so she wouldn't mess up the IV and when she was safely settled, Maggie set her head down on her mother's chest and wrapped her arms around her tightly. That made Tanya cry even harder, but she wrapped her arms around Maggie as well. "I'm so sorry if I scared you," she whispered.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're fine now."

While they hugged, I sat down on the chair beside the bed and brought my phone out to text Edward.

 _She's okay_.

About five minutes later, when I looked over at Tanya and Maggie, Maggie was asleep again and Tanya was looking at me pensively.

"You're so good for her," she murmured suddenly. I frowned. "What?"

"You're good for Maggie. I'm not – I'm dysfunctional. I forget to feed her half of the time, I shoot up while she's in the house. I knew what I was doing was terrible, but I didn't want to let her go. I love her, Bella."

"I know," I whispered.

"But you love her, too. And you're good with her." Tanya reached up to wipe at her once again moist eyes. "I need to get help."

"Yeah," I agreed quietly. Tanya sighed and breathed in shakily. "Will you watch her for me? I know it's a lot to ask, and I haven't been fair to you at all. I've been a huge fucking bitch when all you've been doing was helping me."

"Of course I'll watch her," I told her. "But you need to promise me you'll get better. I need you to actually commit to this and not quit when it gets too hard to handle."

"I won't," she said, looking me straight in the eyes. "I promise I won't. I don't even know how this all started. Felix first started me off with some of the easy stuff - ecstasy, DMT, shrooms – you know. Then, one day he asked if I wanted to shoot up with him. I thought about Maggie, then… but…" She looked down at Maggie, presumably to make sure she was still sleep, but lowered her voice anyway, "…but I just felt resentment towards her. Like… she's the reason I can't do what I want to do. I didn't want to be pregnant at seventeen. I wasn't ready for that responsibility yet, so when he offered, I just said fuck it."

"You should feel lucky," I told her, surprised at the anger that had seeped into my voice, but unable to really hold it back. "Maggie wasn't planned, but you _have_ to realize that you're so lucky to have her. She is special and brilliant and deserves so much more than a feeling of resentment."

"I know," Tanya said. "I know that."

"Yeah? Well, make _her_ know that, too," I said, nodding towards her sleeping daughter.

* * *

Instead of replying to everyone's wonderful reviews, I wanted to address the very popular opinion here. Many of you think that Bella should have called the police on Tanya earlier and tried to gain custody of Maggie instead of just sitting on the problem. I agree wholeheartedly, although this chapter shares the route I wanted to take instead of diving into a legal issue. Maggie is a big part of the story, but I didn't want to spend all the time on her and I really wanted to stay away from courtroom stuff since I'm not so comfortable writing about those scenarios. I tried it once in another fun story I did a while ago and I guess I kind of went all out, but the research wasn't really fun about how the courtroom works and stuff like that. My writing came out awkward and I'm sure a little bit wrong. So, long story short, I just didn't want to pull out the custody card. I honestly like this route a little better anyway, despite how neglectful it makes Bella seem lol, but she really does love that girl. It also allows for Tanya to redeem herself, because like I wrote in the story, Tanya loves Maggie – she just needs to get her shit together.

Another popular opinion is that you guys think Bella believed Edward too quickly or that he's not telling the whole story… welp, we'll just have to see if there's more coming!

In addition to that, my life is about to get incredibly busy, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next or how often I'l be able to update in the future. I have most of the next chapter written, but not all of it.

Anyhow, THANK YOU again for your reviews and keep them coming : ) ! Next chapter I will be doing review replies! I hope my explanation doesn't make me seem like a lazy writer lol and I hope it makes sense. Also check out my story Beginning to Love if you want!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

This one is short, so I decided to update before I usually would! Thanks so much for your reviews guys, lets keep 'em coming!

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"Okay, now we have to add some more detergent – no, Bella! Don't touch it yet, it's gonna stick all over your hands!" Maggie chastised me as she picked up the container of Tide. I held up my hands up after being scolded and tried not to snicker too much. Edward, on the other hand, completely let loose and laughed loudly at the bossy seven-year-old.

"It looks horrible," Edward complained as he peered into the bowl. I nodded my agreement while side-eyeing my bowl and wondering if that gunk would completely render it useless. It stuck to all the sides as Maggie ferociously stirred the tacky mixture, making me regret not using a cheaper, plastic bowl.

"Look! It's starting to turn into slime," Maggie giggled happily and both Edward and I complied and looked at her creation. I thought slime was this slippery, gooey substance that seemed to be more of a liquid than a solid, but what Maggie called slime was the complete opposite. It still seemed a little gooey, but this "slime" was definitely a solid. Edward must've been thinking the same thing as he looked at the slime in the bowl with an eyebrow raised in doubt.

Maggie grabbed the slime and began kneading it on the table – my _good_ coffee table, mind you.

"It looks more like slippery dough," Edward observed. Maggie threw him a weird look, as if this statement was not absolutely true, before resuming her kneading and I chuckled. "Hey, Mags, we're gonna go make some sandwiches," I told her as I stood.

"Alright, I'll keep mixing it," Maggie said without looking up, too engrossed with her slime making.

"It seems a bit icky, don't you think?" Edward said once we were in the kitchen. "When I was seven, I hated science and would play bulldog outside and eat bugs. I don't really get these fidget spinners and slime making stuff."

I paused when grabbing the mayonnaise and looked at him over the refrigerator door. "You _eat_ bugs? And yet you've kissed me how many times?"

"I was just kidding about that one," Edward chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Yet, if I did eat bugs, that would have been years ago."

"But still," I griped, briefly shuddering at the thought. "And anyway, you're not supposed to understand modern kid crazes. You're _thirty_ , old man."

I didn't see Edward coming when he suddenly grasped my waist and hoisted me into the air. I gasped in surprise, then began to laugh hysterically as Edward's fingers tickled the sides and front of my stomach. "What did you call me?" he demanded playfully. He also sat me down onto the floor again, but I was now sandwiched between him and a counter as he continued to tickle me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" I tried to say through my laughter, completely lying between my teeth. Edward stopped tickling and grinned down at me, the mischievous glint in his eye sated for now, but still noticeably there and ready to strike again at any moment. He didn't make any move to back away, now caging my body in with his hands on either side of me. "That was dirty," I told him, eyes narrowed. The endearing look he gave me with mirthful eyes and an adorably lopsided grin was one I definitely could not stay teasingly mad at, however.

"I like to play that way sometimes," he flirted.

I was tempted to flirt back, but then I remembered that his idea of playing dirty must be to constantly cockblock both himself and me until the brink of combustion. I rolled my eyes at him and said pettily, "Does that "sometimes" refer to only the girls before me?"

I ducked out from under his cage and walked back over to the refrigerator to grab the mayonnaise and finish making the sandwiches. It took Edward a good minute before he walked over to where I was standing and leaned against the counter. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied indifferently.

"You seem a little bit angry," he observed.

I let out a sigh and turned to face him, ready to let lose all my pent up sexual frustration caused by him from the past few weeks. "Not angry, just… annoyed. I'm annoyed that I haven't gotten laid in forever and you keep pushing me away every time I try to have sex with you. I mean, I'm definitely not some supermodel, but I don't think I'm _that_ unattractive underneath my clothes… Alice makes me run with her sometimes in the morning, so I _know_ it's not just flab under there. And I think you're attracted to me, but I can't be too sure because –"

I immediately stopped talking when Edward placed a hand over my lips. I wanted to lick his palm, but stopped myself once he started to speak, an amused smile pulling at his perfect lips. "First, I am definitely attracted to you. I've never been _more_ attracted to anyone else, Bella. Second, I'm glad you're not a supermodel. Some of them are too skinny and will turn away anything from a bakery – then how will I spoil you? And third, I've been holding off sex to make sure that you won't have any regrets and that you're completely sure."

"Of course I'm sure," I breathed. "It just doesn't seem like _you_ are."

Whatever he was going to say, it was squandered by Maggie running into the kitchen with a glob of light blue slime. She held it up proudly and bounced on the balls of her feet. "It's finished! I made slime for the first time!"

I stepped from beside Edward and poked the thing in her hand, immediately grossed out by the seemingly wet texture. My finger got stuck a little and when I yanked it back, it made a weird suction noise. It was really gross looking, but to appease Maggie, I gave her a thumbs up and grinned. "It looks awesome, Mags."

"I know," she giggled while stretching it between her hands. I grabbed her sandwich that I had sat in a plate and held it out to her. "Here, go sit and eat this _after_ you wash your hands."

"Okay. Thanks, Bella."

Maggie turned and left, leaving Edward and I alone again. I turned around to face him, frowning at the guilty look on his face. "Edward, it's okay if you're not ready. I just want you to communicate with me."

"Communicate. Right," he sighed. "Look, I've… I need to tell you something important."

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What do you think he has to say? And anyone else have an annoying but lovable kid brother who likes that slime crap?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I also wanted to address the fact that this story is now over 100 views, has nearly 300 followers, and about 140 favorites! Now, you might not think that's a whole bunch, but for me, it is! Thank you guys so much, I really like writing when I have the chance to, and receiving such great feedback is what keeps me writing more. Anyway, enjoy!

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Edward looked entirely too serious as he said this and instantly, I felt the anxiety creep up my back. I nodded and he sighed before running a hand through his ragged hair before talking, although… I really wish he hadn't when he began to speak.

"Okay, so… I didn't leave my phone at my apartment, Bella," he began and I immediately frowned. He hadn't left his phone? For two weeks he was gone… yet he had his phone the whole time? "What are you talking about, Edward?"

"I didn't leave my phone at my apartment when I went back home, but I just… didn't know how to tell you without upsetting you," he continued. "When my brother called me, saying that Kate tried to commit suicide, I was hysterical. Unhinged. I couldn't think clearly for those two weeks and I just kind of holed up at my parent's home until I was ready to come out. I was a coward, I know, but I was also falling apart at seeing Kate like that. It was all I could think about, and I'm truly sorry for just now telling you this, Bella. I was humiliated, but I want to be honest with you."

I just stared at him, letting what he said really soak in. I wasn't expecting it – not from Edward. He was perfect – is _supposed_ to be perfect, anyway, yet just now I realize how unrealistic and unfair labeling him as that is. I haven't known him for long, and him leaving without a word and having a way to not only contact me, but Rose and Emmett, it makes me realize just how true that really is.

"You couldn't be bothered to call, just once? Or shoot off a small text? I understand that you were upset and you have a huge reason to be, but you need to understand that we were worried about you," I told him, frowning. I expected to feel anger, but there was none – well, not a whole bunch, at least. There was still some annoyance simmering inside of me, somewhere deep and shut off, but for now, I felt a little hurt. He was in so much pain during that time, yet I couldn't comfort him like I should have been able to, like he's been able to with my Maggie and Tanya situation.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, looking down shamefully. "I really am, Bella. I understand if you'd like to not see me for a while."

I blinked once, then twice, confused as fuck. "Not see you for a while?" Isn't that what started this mess? "I'm not angry Edward, not really. I just wish you'd told me. No way could I have understood what you were going through, but I still could have been there for you." That wasn't entirely true - I was livid somewhat, but I had to be sensitive to his situation.

"You're right, which is why I really needed to tell you," he said, a small smile on his face, but I wasn't letting him off that easily. I held up a and and finished my jumbled thought process. "I'm not completely angry about what happened, Edward, because it must have been horrible for you... but I _am_ annoyed that you lied to me. I know we haven't put labels or anything on our relationship, but I need honesty. We can't work without it, and if you're able to just lie to me and keep it for almost a month, that speaks volumes." I sighed and rubbed my temples gingerly with one hand. I was hurt, but I didn't want Edward to go anywhere. I wanted us to be okay – whatever _us_ is. I guess that's a little naive of me, especially with what happened in my previous relationship, but I wanted to try. "Just… _promise_ that you won't lie to me again."

"I promise," he said. "I won't lie to you again."

"Good," I breathed, although my shoulders still felt weighed down and tense.

"The reason I didn't want to sleep with you is because of the fact that I didn't tell you everything," he shared. "It just felt wrong, you not knowing."

I nodded and took a moment to soak in everything he's told me. "I was annoyed when you wouldn't sleep with me," I said. "But I'm kind of glad you stopped us, for your reason and for the fact that we haven't even talked about our relationship yet. I'm not looking for a guy to just fuck around with – I want the full package. I want honesty and commitment and…" _Love_ , eventually, but I didn't want to scare the guy away. "I can become clingy, just so you know. Like, _really_ clingy, really fast."

"You can become clingy?" he repeated, stepping closer and my heart began to move a little faster. "Well I already _am_. I am literally so fixated with you, Bella, and I'm not sure if it's healthy how I'm feeling, but I don't want it to stop. You are quite possibly the most beautiful, funniest, down to earth girl I've ever met. And don't think for a second I don't want the full package either – because I definitely do."

I grinned, feeling a little bit of the weight of the situation being shredded away. "Is that your way of finally getting into my pants?" I teased. He chuckled and bent down so our lips were just barely touching, just a small tilt of the head away. "I'd consider it more as me putting my feelings out there, but sure, we can _bonk_ as well."

"You just had to ruin the moment with that terrible word, huh?" I chastised, pushing him backwards gently with the tips of my fingers. He laughed and I went over to the counter where our sandwiches were to begin eating.

* * *

It's been about a week since Tanya left the hospital and admitted herself into a state funded rehab center. I still hate the decisions she's made in life and how they've so badly affected Maggie, but I could never hate her. Knowing each other for so long and knowing that she's more than the drugs she's succumbed to is what keeps my faith so effortlessly able to hold onto.

Maggie had been asking about Tanya, so I called the center and asked Tanya if that would be okay, but she hesitantly said no. She explained to me that she wasn't herself and she didn't want Maggie to see her this way. This was disheartening for Maggie to hear, but she was able to understand why Tanya decided what she did. As a way to get her mind off of Tanya, I planned a trip to the aquarium with Edward, but made sure it was a surprise for both him and Maggie.

"You just love taking me to where smelly animals live, don't you?" he teased me once we made it to the aquarium. I just shrugged with a tiny, mirthful smile on my face.

Maggie was beyond excited to be at the aquarium – I swear this girl would become a vet one day. We first went to the Underwater Dome, where she didn't hesitate to run up to the slanted glass and peering up at the sea life in excitement. "This is so cool!" she gushed, her eyes trailing a huge, ugly fish as it swam sluggishly through the water.

Edward and I sat down on a bench right behind her and I gazed at her wide-eyed wonder and eagerness with my own happiness. "Alice was angry with me for not calling the police," I told Edward. I felt him shift beside me. "I'm glad I didn't, because Maggie loves her mom and Tanya loves Maggie… she just needs help."

"Hmm," he hummed. "I'm glad you didn't, either. That would have been a lot for her."

"Exactly," I said, turning to face him. We were close since the benches were so small. Mindful of the little children milling around and the family environment, I leaned forward quickly and pecked his lips. Edward chuckled lowly and before I could pull away fully, he copied my actions and pressed his lips to mine, only, he didn't pull back.

" _Guys_! Stop kissing and look at this shark," Maggie exclaimed. Edward and I were laughing as we pulled apart and followed her bossy demands. She showed us a hammer-head shark, silvery fishes and the colorful corals decorating the bottom of the tank. Maggie was so excited, and it hurt to think she was going through so much with her mother. I would come here every day if it kept that wide, infectious smile on her face.

We eventually moved on from the dome and visited the other exhibits around the aquarium. I didn't think I would like the aquarium so much, but it was great. Edward even had me touch a sting ray, despite my protest, but arguing with both him and Maggie was futile.

Around twelve, when we were visiting the moon jellies and octopi at the Life of a Drifter exhibit, Maggie announced that she was hungry.

"Okay, we can eat at the café," I said. "Say bye to the octopus and other weird creatures."

Maggie laughed. "I think the mood jellies are cool," she insisted. I grinned at her. "You think _all_ animals are cool, Mags."

"Bella?"

I spun around at the familiar voice and gasped. My last boyfriend, Mike, stood there with a woman and a baby in a stroller who looked almost exactly like Mike as a baby. My eyebrow rose high into my hairline when I thought about how long it's been since we were together. It hadn't even been a whole year.

I'm pretty sure that this was his baby, and the girl hanging from his arm was the same who'd been fucking him in our bed, but he still smiled at me like we left on friendly terms. "Hey, Bell. It's been a long time, huh?"

"Uh… maybe a little longer than I realized," I said, my eyes dropping to the kid. Mike rolled his eyes. "Listen. I'm sorry for what I did, but… it looks like we both moved on." His eyes landed on Edward, who was standing by with his hands stuffed into his front pockets. Mike crouched down next to Maggie and held a hand up. "Hey, munchkin! How's it been?"

Instead of replying, Maggie just stared at Mike with a sour face. I tried not to laugh out loud and squeezed her shoulder. Maggie never liked Mike – not even when we dated.

"It's been nice seeing you, Mike," I said, ending the conversation.

We left him crouching on the floor and headed in the direction of the café. Edward touched my arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," I assured him, happy with how true that statement is. I was in such a funk after Mike and I's relationship, but I'm glad it's over. I hadn't had many relationships before him, but none of them compared to how I feel for Edward.

Mike is a liar and cheat. I'm pretty sure that baby is his, meaning he was conceived even before I knew he was…" I reminded myself Maggie was here. "… _bonking_ another girl."

"I feel like we've used that word too much now," he snorted.

Chuckling, I agreed, "Yeah, you're right.

* * *

After the aquarium and work, me, Edward and Maggie headed back to my house. She was so tired – I needed to find someone who could watch her on school nights when Alice and I are at work. Either that or I'd need to ask Rose if I could switch shifts so I'm only working when Maggie is at school.

After putting Maggie into her bed, Edward and I immediately headed to my room. Alice had given us a knowing look when we past her room and I just giggled like the seventeen-year-old girl I currently felt like.

We didn't speak after the door closed behind us. The only thing we were currently capable of was stumble into the bed and paw at the clothes encasing our bodies. Frenzied, our shirts and my bra seemed to fly off at the same time, which was closely followed by kicking our pants off and shimmying out of our underwear.

We were finally naked together, completely bare for the other to gaze at. Time seemed to slow at that moment when we both drunk up each other's presence and the energized vibe in the room. Edward was the first to move, taking slow and deliberate steps towards me until his hands latched onto the top of my pelvic bone, causing a shiver to somewhat violently ripple through my body. I responded by bringing my arms up and wrapping them around his neck, which he craned when leaning down to press a feverish kiss to my lips.

We fell backwards onto the bed and Edward's hand crept below. The sudden sensation of him shoving two fingers inside had me gasping and arching off of the bed. "Fuck," I hissed, forcing my eyes open and staring down at his two fingers spearing my center at a sensual pace and his thumb lazily circling around my clit.

My hands grasped at anything and everything as my senses heightened and pleasure just about shocked my body. I tried to fist the sheets, grasped the ends of Edward's hair for a moment, sunk my fingers into my hair, but it all wasn't enough. I sought out Edward's cock, hard and standing proudly just a few inches above my stomach.

We formed a steady pattern – I'd stroke up and down, he'd push in and out. Every part of this moment was so intense; I felt my whole being swallowed in love-laced passion and need. Not even moment later, I felt a tiny ball gather in my stomach before bursting so ferociously that it made my toes curl, my hand pause, and my back to shoot off the bed in unbounded pleasure.

Before I could take a moment to think or breathe, Edward had yanked my hand from his cock and thrust inside me. A scream had wound up in my throat, but he trapped the sound with his mouth as he greedily kissed me. My legs snaked around his waist and his hips hammered forward into mine.

We were having crazy, unrestrained sex that had the bed rocking with our frantic movements and creak from the vicious force. Edward was panting in my mouth, not really even kissing me anymore, and the unmistakable feeling of that wound-up ball in the pit of my stomach had me tingling all over.

"Shit, shit, _shit_ ," I breathed, my hips lifting up slightly off the bed in an attempt to get closer.

"I'm there," Edward murmured. "Fuck! I can feel you, Bella... so hot… _fuck_." If he said anything else, I couldn't hear it over the absolute, thudding sounding in my ear. Edward was too consumed in his own pleasure to keep his lips on mine, so I slapped a hand over my mouth as my orgasm ripped through me in a way that had me concerned that my scream hadn't been so restrained behind my hand, but I wasn't able to care at that point.

" _Condom_ ," Edward sputtered before I felt him pull away from me. I whimpered at the sudden emptiness I felt consume my body and, almost automatically, my legs snapped closed as I continued to ride out my orgasm. Edward gripped his cock with an eager hand and began pumping his release all over my stomach and leg.

"Holy shit," I panted, feeling aroused all over again. But Edward looked spent as he practically fell over beside me and threw an arm over his head. "Holy shit," he echoed.

I laughed and tossed my leg over his. "That was unbelievable," I whispered.

"It was," he agreed readily and removed his arm. "Fuck, Bella. I knew it would be amazing, but…"

"Fuck," I finished for him, chuckling lightly. He grinned at me with those gorgeous green eyes and perfect teeth and I couldn't help but smother his lips in kisses. Down the hall, I could hear Alice yell at us, "Frickin' animals!" but I could honestly care less. In this moment, it was only me and him.

* * *

Edward and I laid in bed, chests rising and falling steadily after another round of sex – this time slow and sensual in a way that had me quivering from not just the pleasure, but the palpable passion, too. Was it normal to be falling so fast for a guy I've only known for two months?

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Edward said while rolling out of bed. I nodded and watched as his naked ass sauntered towards my bathroom, giggling at the exaggerated swing of his hips. "Very sexy!" I called out, which was followed by loud laughter.

I stretched and turned onto my stomach when I heard a ping somewhere under the bedsheet. I dove my hand under and grabbed Edward's phone, which must have fallen out of his pants in our haste to get them off. He had a few messages from Jasper, but the one that was just sent was from Kate. I immediately went to sit the phone down, not wanting to invade his privacy, but another message dinged in, and then another.

My curiosity was a stubborn asshole, so I picked the phone back up and looked at the messages.

 _Call me ASAP!_

 _Jasper told me where you've been – where you've REALLY been_

 _Don't ignore me_

I frowned as I read the messages sent by her. After casting a cautious look towards the bathroom door, I then began to scroll down to the previous messages from Jasper.

 _I told Kate, Edward. Enough is enough. You can't just forget about your problems._

 _Kate's being irrational again – call me as soon as you can_

 _Mom and dad are worried about you too_

 _Did you even tell Bella? How are you lying to both of them?_

"Bella?"

I gasped and the phone practically flew out of my hand in my haste to get rid of it. Edward stood by the bathroom door, his eyebrows creased considerably. He stalked over to the bed and grabbed his phone that had landed somewhere by the footboard, scrolling through the messages displayed across his screen.

The room suddenly was so unnervingly silent and uncomfortable. I gripped the sheets tight to my chest as the realization that there were more secrets and more lies that Edward hasn't revealed. I was so _stupid_.

* * *

Fun fact? I'm not a fan of sex scenes, so that scene might be the only one in this story, or just one of several sex scenes.

Anyhow, what did you think? ANOTHER cliffhanger? Following one I just gave you? Hehe, well overwhelm me with reviews and I think that might be enough incentive for me to update super early again! Other than that, for real now, updates will happen not as frequent. Classes for me are starting up again tomorrow, so I'll be extremely busy living the super fun, stress free college life *insert sarcastic tone*. Don't forget to review! Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hello! This chapter is super short, but explains so many things. Erm... and read my note at the end?

* * *

"Bella…" he began, but my name tapered off into the tense air as nothing else slipped past his lips.

"Tell me what, Edward?" I asked, calmly, although the anger was bubbling inside of me at an uncontrollable rate that I had to mentally push down. "What else are you lying to me about?"

He sighed softly in frustration before plopping himself down heavily on the side of the bed. "I thought it would be all behind me… that neither me nor you would have to worry about it if I kept all my shit in England," he shared quietly. He took a breath in before turning to face me. "I'm married to Kate. She isn't just a family friend. She's my wife. We've been married for six years, but before I came to the States, we were about to have a baby. I was so excited. I don't think I had ever been more excited when she told me the news, and if I had just calmed down for that moment, or any moment after, really, I would have realized she wasn't as excited. I would have saw that she didn't smile as wide as I did and I would have noticed when I talked about our baby, she would just zone out. I didn't notice any of those things. I didn't know she wanted to… _kill_ … our baby.

She had an abortion when she was three months along – we could have known the gender in a few more weeks. The way she did it was so… so _inhumane_. I came home after work one day, about a week after she did it. I was excited because tomorrow we would be going for a check-up, but she told me that there would be no need because she got rid of it. I didn't understand at first, but she explained it to me well. I was just stunned – I didn't really know what to do. So… I ran. I wanted to get as far away from Kate as possible for a while, so the only place I could think of that I always wanted to go to is the US. I stayed in a hotel until Jasper arranged for me to be sponsored by a company in Chicago and to get my green card so that I could move out of England.

Jasper didn't like that I was running, but he still wanted to help me. When I finally moved to the US, I realized that even though Kate hurt me in the worst way possibly, I still loved her. I didn't want to get a divorce, but I still wasn't ready to speak to her. I was really just all over the place – it was confusing to me, to my family. It took almost a year for me to finally call her. She told me that she was sorry, but she hadn't been ready for a baby. She said she still loved me though and wanted me to come back. I didn't go back, of course, but I thought I still loved her too. I wasn't _in_ love with Kate, not anymore, but I couldn't let her go at the time.

Edward paused, seemingly to gather his thoughts, then swallowed hard before continuing. "It wasn't until I met you that I realized I didn't love Kate anymore – that I needed to let our relationship go. I wasn't lying when I said that I was utterly fixated on you – that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. After the zoo with you and Maggie, I called Kate and told her that we finally needed to get a divorce. We couldn't keep hopping in circles like we've been doing. She lost it – which led to her trying to commit suicide. I think she's always had hope that we would be together again one day. I didn't love Kate anymore – I actually think I stopped loving her after she had the abortion, despite what I tried telling myself – but I still cared, even when I didn't want to. So, I hopped on a plane and went back home. I felt so guilty and, like I said before, it just made me hole up there until I was ready to come out. And when I did… I told Kate that I would fix what was going on between us. Somehow." He looked at me then, his eyes staying still after bouncing so anxiously around the room when he was speaking.

"I didn't mean I wanted to get back together with her, Bella. I would never be able to – not after so long, and especially not after what she did. What I meant when I said I wanted to fix what was going on was maybe someday being able to forgive her and making amends. She didn't understand that before I left, though, and she's been trying to contact me the past few weeks. She's even gone as far as barging into Jasper's home and my parents' home and demanding where I've been." Another deep breath in. "I know what I did… was shitty. And I was – _am_ – a coward."

I didn't really know how to respond. Half of my mind was caught up the speed, but the other half had been left behind at the very beginning of when Edward began to speak, when he said he was married and almost had a baby. After hearing all of this, my emotions were heightened to an almost unbearable degree and the need to be as far away from Edward as possible nagged at the tip of my mind.

"Say something," Edward pleaded, and my eyes snapped toward his. He looked desperate, sorry, guilty. I wondered if my eyes showed the absolute befuddlement that I felt numbing my body.

"You were right," I stated lowly. Edward's eyes narrowed, confused, so I elaborated. "You are a coward. The _biggest_ coward." I wanted to relish in the hurt look that immediately flashed in his eyes and wounded his stature, but I was too wound up right now to feel any sort of accomplishment at this. "Can you go?" I asked, turning away.

"Bella…"

"I need time to _think_ ," I spat harshly. "You just drop on me that you're fucking married to another woman that somehow, even though you didn't want a divorce, have _no_ feelings for – which sounds like complete and utter _bullshit_ to me. You lied to me – you've been lying for weeks! And when I made you promise not to lie to me anymore, after looking me straight in the eyes, you still did." I clutched the sheet around me tight as I leveled his gaze. "Just go. Please."

His jaw clenched a few times before he stood and began pulling on his clothes. I had to look away as he did this, not really wanting to look at him. I hated how we had just been in this bubble of bliss and ease and now we were suddenly so far away from that, jerked into an inimical point in time where that bubble had burst so unpleasantly and left only a dense shroud of tension in its wake.

When Edward was done, I could tell he lingered by the door for a moment from his lack of movement, his presence so loud. "I'm sorry, Bella," he mumbled, then left.

* * *

So, when I first started this story, I knew I wanted Edward to appear to be this great, lovable guy just so things can turn like this. I wanted to add some angst and bring more to the story because it honestly would have ended in another chapter or two if I didn't go down this route anyway. I kinda sprinkled hints along the way, almost foreshadowing this turn of events, like having Bella highlight how perfect Edward is and whatnot. Trust me, more will come with these two. If you don't like how it is progressing, I'm not sure what to say other than: sorry, this story is not the one for you. If you want to still continue with me as I write this story, then I thank you! It's not going to all be peaches and cream, but I can assure you that I love happy endings. I know most of you feel like what Edward did is unforgivable and that there is no way he can redeem himself... I think I would too if I was a reader, but... well you'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out!

Now, for people who don't completely hate this story yet lol, I know previously I said that updates will be fewer and fewer, yet I keep updating early. That's because I basically had chapters written, but now... chapter 12 is not even halfway written and I'm not sure when it will fully be written. I'll try to write a little bit each day, but I can't really promise more than that.

Also, just one more thing, I don't know much about green cards or that process. I looked stuff up on Google, but it might not be 100%. But that's okay, because it's fiction, so just pretend everything is right :) This is also low key a message to a guest reviewer who said I had some wrong info in the first few chapters about soccer - thanks for informing me, if you're reading this, since I was not able to PM you. I may put out the wrong info, and I won't go back to change it (unless it was something noticed by everyone or an offensive thing), because, again... fiction... but if I write something wrong, don't hesitate to inform me :)

Anyhow, thanks for reading! What did you think of Edward's confession? What do you think will happen next for these two?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hey all! I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all so much for supporting this story - it's at 165 reviews! I say this often, but even though it might not seem like a lot compared to other stories, it really puts a huge smile on my face! And not only that, but 341 follows? Niceeee! If only I can reach that many reviews a chapter LOL! It would be nice if everyone who followed also dropped a short review, but I'm not gonna be picky.

I also wanted to thank you all again, especially because I lost a few people after last chapter - which I completely respect, by the way. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

"Okay, Maggie. You know what to do."

When hearing Alice say this, I removed the blanket covering my head just in time to see Maggie come flying onto the bed and tackling me. "Maggie," I groaned.

"Alice says you need to get off your mopey ass so you can go to work," Maggie said. "And I'm not allowed to get up until you do."

She swatted some stray hair out of her face as she told me this with a pucker, serious expression. My eyebrow rose and looked past her at Alice leaning against the door jamb and giving me one of her 'bitchy Alice' faces. When I looked back at Maggie, her expression almost mirrored Alice's exactly.

"Ugh, you guys are insufferable," I groaned as I sat up. Maggie grinned and tossed her body off of mine. "Why can't you just let me wallow in peace?"

"Because. You need to show Edward that you're not going to sit down crying after what he did," Alice told me. I stood and stretched, letting out a weary sigh from sitting in bed so long. When Alice came into my room after Edward left, she demanded me to tell her what happened and why I'd been screaming at Edward. Since he left yesterday, I've really just been in bed, despite the occasional bathroom break and going downstairs once for a bowl of cereal. I've mostly been sleeping and thinking about what could have clued me in about his lies.

"I haven't been crying," I said, my tone a little clipped. Alice snorted. "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "You've been close to it. I have half a mind to go with you to work, actually, and make _him_ cry a little, too."

"Me too," Maggie said, somewhere under my duvet. "I oughta knock him out."

I couldn't help the small smile that shown at her adorableness. "That's sweet, babe, but _no one_ is going to make anyone cry or harm anyone in anyway." I eyed Alice as I said this. She was small, but she did hit extremely hard.

Edward's confession was still a harsh wound that I haven't really known how to tend to, but I had to go to work. I took off enough time when I sprained my ankle and the bills really won't pay themselves. So, I gathered as much nerve and assurance that I could muster and got ready so that I'd make it to work on time.

Maggie and I arrived at the restaurant just in time for my shift. It's been a while since I've brought Maggie with me, so everyone was happy to see her bouncing around and laughing at every little thing. She'd be starting school in about a week, though, so I needed to arrange something so she wouldn't be up so late at night

I knew that Edward was here, but I didn't turn to look at him. I wasn't ready to talk to him just yet, so I expected that looking his way would only make it harder for me to stand by this. I also expected Edward to keep his distance from me, but the first chance he got, he was by my side. I had to walk to the back to get something from my locker, which gave him the perfect opportunity to swoop up right behind me and follow me into the room.

"Bella."

I paused for a fraction of a second when he spoke before resuming the task at hand.

"Bella, I know I messed up," he said, his tone taking on an edge of pleading. "Can we sit and talk?"

I took a deep breath before turning to face him. "You know when I would have appreciated a _good talk_? Right before you just got up and left without telling anyone where you were going. Or how about when you landed in England? Or, actually, what about when you first knew I was interested in you and you just omitted the fact that you have a freaking _wife_?" I spat out the last part with as much venom as I could muster. I was livid, and at this moment, it just now seemed to really surface. Sure, I was angry when he first told me, but now I wanted to strangle him for playing with me like this and I wanted to strangle _myself_ for being so blind.

The small room was suddenly even tighter with the blatant tension thickening in the air. I slammed my locker door shut with fuming finality and stormed out of the room.

What happened with Edward and I set the tone for the night. I wasn't focused and I could tell he wasn't either. Emmett yelled his name a few times when he would break a glass or spill something over onto the bar top. I didn't have that much of a rough night, although I did almost spill a whole tray of steaming food on the floor and I actually _did_ spill some water on my uniform. Other than that, I steered clear of Edward and tried my hardest not to think about him all night.

"What's up with you and Edward?" Rose asked when she pulled up beside me. I turned to her somewhat sharply, a bit taken aback with her question about my personal life. "Oh… um, nothing."

"Nothing," she repeated, snorting. I nodded and busied myself by playing with a loose string hanging off of my shirt. "Yeah, okay. Just make sure there's no more accidents about 'nothing', okay?"

I almost cracked a grin. "Okay, Rose."

If anyone else on the staff noticed how awkward Edward and I were acting, no one said anything. When it was time to leave, I waved goodbye to everyone while avoiding Edward's eyes, and picked up a sleeping Maggie to take out to the car. Just when I was about to jump in after laying her down in the back seat, Edward called out to me.

I sighed deeply and turned to face him for the second time tonight.

"What?"

"I can give you time," he told me. "But I won't stop trying to talk to you. I know I don't deserve it after what I did, but… can we talk after you've had time to think? Even if you just want to say you never want to see me again."

I stared at him. I remember first meeting him, falling in love with the color of his eyes and the messy mane on top of his hair. But that feeling was now so deeply tainted and so far gone. "Bella," he whispered, his eyes pleading with me.

"No," I breathed, stepping away. "You're not going to do this to me. You don't _get_ to say you won't stop talking to me, Edward. You _will_ stop talking to me because I don't want to talk to you."

"What was I supposed to say?" he griped, his voice raising a little bit. "'Oh, Bella, and I forgot to mention, I have a wife in England who killed our child a few years ago'? _That_ would've been a good conversation starter."

"Yes!" I yelled, laughing with anger and disbelief. " _Yes_. How dare you keep something like that from me? I told you not to lie to me again, but you've been lying the whole fucking time!" I didn't want to cry, but the tears began to flow quickly and traitorously down my cheeks. When he reached out, presumably to comfort me, I jerked my body backward and glared. "Don't fucking touch me. Don't call me. Don't show up at my door. Don't even fucking _think_ about me."

I got into my car before he could respond and pulled quickly out of the parking lot, not caring if I could have accidentally ran over his feet in the process.

* * *

"Do I _have_ to go to school?' Maggie groaned as I was ironing her school pleats. She was sitting on my floor with Roscoe nestled into her lap.

"Yes, Maggie," I said, rolling my eyes. "Second grade won't be so bad, I promise. Plus, the bus will drop you off in front of Ms. Cope's store and you'll be able to see all the cute animals."

Before Maggie started school, I had dug up the note from Mrs. Cope and called to see if her offer to watch Maggie still stood, which it thankfully did. The school was also pretty understanding in the situation and allowed for Maggie to be dropped off at the shop while still being picked up at my house in the morning. I also talked to Rose about switching shifts so that I'd work from when the restaurant opened at nine, to five in the afternoon. She agreed to it, but she needed to find a replacement to fit into my shift before I could officially switch. In the meanwhile, Maggie would be dropped off at Mrs. Cope's shop from the school bus and I'd pick her up when I get off of work.

"I hope I get into a good class and make some friends," she shared.

"You will," I assured her. "Just don't bring home any boys yet, okay?"

She laughed and flicked what she could of her still short hair dramatically behind her shoulders. "Boys can't handle me, Bella."

I snorted. "Okay, Mags. Just make sure you remember that when you're older, too."

After helping her into her uniform and shoving her black shoes onto her feet, we headed out the door and towards the bus stop. To kill two birds with one stone, I also brought Roscoe outside with us so he could do his business outside and not on the floor inside.

"So… are you ever gonna talk to Edward again?" Maggie asked. I looked at her, surprised that she was asking. "I just miss him," she added.

I sighed. "Edward did something really unforgivable, Mags. At the moment, at least. I don't think I can really forgive him right now."

"Okay," she said. "We were so happy when we hung out, but I get it. Like when the girls cut my hair, that made me angry."

"Right," I agreed. "But, look. Your bus is coming. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

The bus pulled up and I watched as Maggie ran across the street and stepped onto the high steps before the doors closed behind her. She animatedly waved at me through the bus window while grinning and I couldn't help but match her own exuberance as I waved back.

* * *

"You're finally up. You look like shit though," I snorted as Alice trudged into the kitchen. Her hair was very similar to a rat's nest and the shirt she was wearing was about three sizes too big. She thrusted her middle finger up into the air at me and I laughed. "Fuck off," she muttered, then yawned right after.

"Uh, don't you have work soon?"

"No. I'm calling in sick," she groaned, rubbing her temples. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"Er, okay. Just stay away from me, then."

She looked up at me with narrowed eyes and I laughed again. "Aw, it's okay, Al. I'll make you some coffee."

"How was getting Maggie ready?" Alice asked while I made her coffee. Roscoe was walking right at my feet though, making it hard to move.

"It was good. I thought I would hate getting up early, but I was actually pretty fine with it."

"That's good," she said. "Any incidents with He Who Shall Not Be Named?"

I chuckled. "He's not Voldemort, Al. I mean… I guess he's pretty fucking close, but I had sex with the guy, so I'd rather not make a connection between the two." I shuddered just at the thought of it while Alice laughed. "But, no. No incidents. After I told him to leave me alone, he left me alone. It's just super awkward at work right now, I can't wait until I can switch shifts."

"Yes, because when I visit you at work, I don't think I'd be able to retract my claws long enough before attacking the guy." She sighed. "I just can't believe it, you know? I mean, maybe it's a lesson learned. If you meet this ridiculously handsome guy with wild-sex hair and snake eyes, you should never trust him."

I rolled my eyes. "Snake eyes?"

"Uh, yeah. His eyes are green – now you know never to trust or date anyone with green eyes," she stated. I handed her the cup of coffee and she placed her nose above the steam.

" _You_ have green eyes, Al," I said, eyeing her.

"And am I married with 2.5 dogs and a white picket fence? No."

"It's 2.5 _kids_."

She raised an eyebrow. "I know that. But I don't like kids, except for Maggie, so."

While chuckling and shaking my head at her, the doorbell rang. I pulled myself away from the counter and went to answer it, wondering who it could be. Alice and I didn't get too many visitors.

I looked through the peephole and frowned at the unfamiliar face on the other side. It was a guy, with shoulder-length blonde hair and black shades on. "Uh, who is it?" I called through the wood.

"My name is Jasper – Edward's brother," he said and my eyes widened. What the fuck? Why would Edward's brother be here, when he's supposed to be in England? Unless Edward was lying about that too.

I unlocked the door and opened it. "Uh… hi," I said, so confused. "How do you know my address?"

"Hey, Bella. You'd be surprised what type of information you can find online." Despite how creepy his comment was, the smile he's currently flashing is super friendly. "I'm sorry to drop in on you like this. Is my brother here?"

I blinked a few times, not sure I was hearing him right. He was actually asking for his brother – his lying, cheating, _asshole_ of a brother – in my house? Then I realized he probably didn't even know that I knew about Edward and Kate.

"Er… no. He's not. I, um… I know everything," I said, stumbling over the words. "So, we're not speaking."

"I see." He nodded and sighed. "He's not at his apartment. Uh… do you mind if we chat?"

"Listen… I understand that you're Edward's brother, but he's a really, _really_ big asshole. I don't want to talk about him." And I really didn't – especially not with his brother, who I've only just met.

Jasper sighed. "Trust me, I know he's an ass. What he did was unbelievable, but after all the shit that happened with Kate, he kind of just… did things that weren't him. Like this. I'm not preaching to you about how he fucked up and you should give him another chance – because he should have finalized the divorce with Kate before starting a relationship with you. Hell, he should have filed for a divorce before he left England. His actions were often unpredictable and irrational, which makes him sound like a serial killer, but is completely true."

"Great. He's a serial killer. I really don't want to be rude, because you seem nice, but are we done talking?" I was over it. Edward was a grown man – he's accountable for his own actions.

Jasper sighed. "Alright. Sorry to waste your time, Bella – have a good day."

I nodded and leaned against the door as he turned to walk away. Before he was completely gone though, I called his name out, making him turn around. "Yeah?"

"Why are you in Seattle?"

"I'm just visiting – to knock some sense in my brother. See you soon, Bella." He waved before getting into his car. Before he pulled off, though, I noticed someone else sitting in the backseat. She was blonde, but that's really all I could tell from my spot by the door and through the car window. She turned her head and I met her gaze, holding it for a second too long. It was hard to assess her anymore because Jasper pulled out of the driveway and down the street.

Was that Kate?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sooooo... almost 200 reviews! Let's make it there for this update! Thanks you guys so much for reviewing for the last chapter - without them I wouldn't really have the drive to update this story especially because I'm so busy - which brings me to another thing. I want to reply to your reviews so badly, but it really does take up time, especially when trying to update the story in a reasonable time frame. So, I'll still reply, but maybe not as often as usual. I want to direct a lot of my free time to making new chapter. Anyhow, I hope you guys like this one :)

* * *

Going into work now was much easier than a week ago. I felt tougher than I did previously and no longer made mistakes when walking with a tray and my eyes didn't stray towards Edward once. I wasn't over it, of course, but I was pretty good at hiding my anxiousness.

I'm not sure where Edward was earlier, but he was here now. It made me briefly wonder if he met with Jasper yet, but I felt like I knew my answer because he made more of a commotion today than any day this week. Right before my break, when he dropped a whole bottle of vodka, I couldn't help but notice Rose pull him to the side.

"You gonna share details now?" Emmett asked as he walked up beside me. I snorted. "No. It's none of your business. Just know that Edward is the biggest shithead on the planet that lost his fucking ball sack somewhere."

Emmett threw his head back and bellowed out a laugh. "I don't think I've ever seen you so hostile before. So whatever shit is going on between you two, you don't think it'll work out?"

"I _know_ it won't," I said. "Rose is looking over here, you should get back to work."

Emmett thankfully didn't try to bring it up again after that. About an hour after my break, I was just milling around doing small things since most people have left the restaurant and it was just a slow night. A commotion by the bar had me redirect my attention towards it and my eyes narrowed upon seeing Edward yelling at a customer.

"You wanna say that again?" Edward yelled, basically snarling with the anger in his expression. "Say that about her one more fucking time, and I _swear_ -"

The guy said something back, and, well, Edward _had_ been yelling, until he punched the guy directly in the face. I gasped as Edward practically hopped over the bar top and began swinging wildly at the customer. The guy let this happen for a few seconds before managing to wrangle Edward under him and throwing his own punches while they both yelled obscene things at each other. My heart rate was rising, fear causing it to spike.

"Do something!" I screamed at Emmett, panicking. Emmett seemed to be panicking a little bit too, but he grabbed the customer off Edward, just missing his elbow as it swung backwards. Edward stood and attempted to swing at the guy, but another customer had tightened their arms around his waist and pulled him forcefully backwards.

"Get them both the fuck out of my restaurant!" Rose yelled, at both Edward and the customer. "I am _sick_ of your shit, Edward! You're out."

Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched a few times. His eyes met mine, swollen and bruised, but I couldn't hold his gaze. I looked away, to the floor, only looking back up when the door opened and closed and Edward was no longer in the restaurant.

"What a piece of shit," the customer said, shaking his head, but Rose made sure he left the restaurant as well, threatening to call the police if he starts something outside.

"Wow," Emmett mumbled, looking at me. "Dude's really messed up right now."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I know."

* * *

I'm really not sure what I would do without Mrs. Cope. It was definitely too late for Maggie to be out on a school night, but Mrs. Cope lived in the space above her shop, so she was easily able to keep Maggie up there as she slept.

When I tried to hand her money, Mrs. Cope shook her head. "Maggie is the sweetest child I've ever spent my time with. She even helped out around the shop – which is definitely a bonus. It's really no trouble, Bella."

"Thank you so much," I said, smiling. "I won't always be picking her up this late – I'll be switching shifts soon."

"That's good. See you tomorrow."

The ride home was smooth and uneventful. I hated that Maggie was out this late still, but it'll be different soon.

* * *

It was easy to fall into a routine after the first day, and it was especially easy after I finally had my shift changed. I wasn't even too bothered that I had to change what time I slept, although I'd definitely have to get used to it.

Most of the time I got Maggie ready, but Alice got her up a few times after she went on her sporadically scheduled morning run. She wasn't yanking me out of bed to run with her anymore, thankfully.

By Maggie's third week, I was definitely accustomed to the new schedule and life. Having Maggie live with us was definitely a change, but one I wholeheartedly welcomed. She was noticeably happier and I think I was, too, despite everything that's happened. I'm upset that Edward and I didn't last long in a relationship, but I'm also glad to dodge that bullet. That big, fat, _lying_ bullet.

Right now, Alice, Maggie and I were having a slumber party in the living room with karaoke, scary movies and cheap beer – cheap juice boxes for Maggie – as a way to end the week. The two had somehow managed to corner me and force me into singing a horrible, cringe-worthy, and most likely scarring rendition of _Shut Up and Dance by Walk_ the Moon. When Alice brought out her phone and started recording me, that's when I shut it down and pulled up Netflix.

"Let's watch that one," Maggie said, pointing to _The Babadook_.

"You sure you don't wanna watch _Moana_?"

"What? No! Let's watch _The Babadook_."

I shared a look with Alice, but clicked on the movie anyway and prepared myself for when I shit my pants. Maggie liked this shit for some reason, but I wasn't really able to turn down her pouts, so most of the time I just went with it.

"Ugh," Alice groaned, throwing her head back against the cushion of the couch as the movie began. "I need to go to the store tomorrow."

"Oh, pick me up some tampons?" I asked. I was about a day or two later than usual, but it should be coming on soon. I just stupidly never brought any pads or tampons.

"Wasn't your period supposed to come on last week?" Alice asked, licking her fingers free of the oily butter from the popcorn. I frowned and pulled out my phone, going to the calendar. "What? No."

" _Shh_!" Maggie hushed us ferociously. Alice rolled her eyes and lowered her voice as she spoke.

"B – your period is usually a week before mine. Mine came on this week," Alice insisted, looking at me. I swallowed when I realized that she was right – our periods were close, but they never fell on the same date, even when they'd been irregular at times.

"Fuck," I muttered.

"Bella," Maggie said, looking at me pointedly. I ran a distressed hand through my hair. "Sorry, Mags. I'll be right back, guys."

I hopped up and went upstairs to my room, basically pulling my hair out with the thoughts racing through my hair. As soon as my door closed, it opened a fraction of a second later and Alice walked in. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably and I had to sit and grasp onto the bedsheets because I felt like I would fall over.

"Oh, my God," I cried, covering my face. Alice sat beside me and put her arm around me, pulling me close. "Shh. It's okay - you just need to take a pregnancy test. You might not even be pregnant, Bella. It'll be fine."

"It won't be," I whispered, wiping my eyes dry. "Fuck, Alice. What happens if I'm pregnant?" I looked at her in the eyes, scared beyond belief and needing reassurance. Alice rubbed my arm and sighed. "If you are, I'll be right there with you, alright? Everything will be okay."

Alice offered to get a few tests while I stayed at the house with Maggie. We didn't use a condom at all that night – and I hadn't even realized it. I'd been so caught up in it that my brain hadn't been fucking working properly, apparently.

"What happened, Bella?" Maggie asked, pausing the movie. I smiled timidly at her. "Nothing – everything's okay. Uh, Alice just needed to run to the store and get something. How about we just finish watching the movie?"

"Okay…" She stared at me for another moment before turning back to the screen and pressing play.

I wasn't really watching, I was really just sitting there with my legs bouncing and my hands wrung together until Alice came back.

When she did, I grabbed the tests and went to the bathroom while she sat with Maggie. Waiting or results felt like torture; I couldn't stand still at all. I sat on the toilet seat, then stood and paced. The next second, I was washing my hands because I forgot to do so after peeing, then washed them again just because. I sat back down on the toilet seat with the trash bin wrapped in my hands when the urge to throw up threatened my nerves, but nothing came up, so I sat that back down.

When the longest fucking three minutes of my life were over, I grabbed the tests with closed eyes. Two breaths in, two breaths out.

Then I opened them.

Two lines. Fuck.

* * *

I took two more over the next two days just to be sure. Low and behold, both tests were positive.

"When are you going to talk to Edward?" Alice asked.

I shrugged miserably. "Soon, I guess? I really don't know." I ran my hands down my face and let out a loud, exasperated groan. "When did this all go to shit, Alice?"

"Uh, when you two dumb fucks had unprotected sex," she said. I glared at her and she held her hands up. "Sorry, sorry. But it's true."

"Ugh," I mumbled, running a hand through my ragged hair. My stomach was twisting in all kinds of uncomfortable ways as I thought about what will happen if I had this baby. Financially, I'm not struggling that much at the moment, but with a baby added to the equation, it'll definitely become a problem. Apart from that, there is no other room in the house. There are three bedrooms total and of course it would logical to have Maggie share a room with a baby, but her room is incredibly small; adding a crib and baby toys and clothes would be so uncomfortable for Maggie.

I think the worst of it all, however, is that I definitely won't be able to avoid Edward.

"What are you thinking?" Alice asked.

I let out a huge breath. "That we were two dumb fucks that had unprotected sex," I said. "I don't even understand how I let that happen. I _always_ used a condom with Mike."

"Probably to add some extra girth," she snorted. I rolled my eyes at her and leaned back against the couch cushion. "Alice. I'm serious."

"Ugh, yeah. I know, but you also know that my coping mechanism is to deflect serious situations with inappropriate humor." She smiled cheekily at me and I pushed her shoulder lightly. "But, okay. On a more serious note, you just need to talk to Edward. Hash it out with him. You don't have to keep having animalistic sex – "

"What! Alice– _ew_!"

"– but you guys just need to act civilized for the baby's sake, Maggie's sake, hell, even for my sake because I like my sleep and if I have to hear arguing that interrupts it, well, I'm not gonna be very happy." She raises her eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes for I think the umpteenth time.

"Well… what do I say?" I ask her. Alice shrugged. "I mean, there's no correct or easy way to say it. You just have to blurt it out, I guess."

"Oh my God," I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. "I didn't even get a chance to start my career, Alice! I mean, not that I know what I want to do, but what if I figure it out? I'm only twenty-four, and I'm already a sort of instant-mom and about to be a biological mom."

"Well, you turn twenty-five in two weeks," Alice commented. "If that makes a difference."

"Uh, no… not really, Al." I took in a deep breath and stared at her.

Alice moved over so she was closer to me and threw her around arm my torso before laying her head on my shoulder. All of a sudden, my emotional dam snapped and the tears started to fall quickly down my face. "It's gonna be fine," she said. "You're gonna have the cutest baby ever because Edward is hot and so are you. Then, you're gonna find this amazing guy with blue eyes, but just as sharp of a jaw and also the ability to jackhammer you into oblivion, even _more_ than Edward did."

"Oh my God," I snorted, regardless of my tears. Despite the crude humor, I hugged her back just as hard, beyond happy that I had a best friend like her.

* * *

Did anyone guess this was going to happen? What are your thoughts on it? Share with me in a review :) Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hey guys! Sorry this is pretty late, but you know... life :( And if you read Beginning to Live, I'm also sorry that it hasn't been updated in a while. I'm working on it.

* * *

I decided to call Edward during my break at work, just in case I needed an excuse to leave the conversation early.

He picked up almost immediately, and the voice on the other end sounded like Edward, but much more defeated. "Bella?"

"Uh… hey," I mumbled, feeling my heart quicken.

"You're… uh, you're calling me." The dumfounded rise in his voice was almost comical, but the reason why I was calling sobered any kind of amusement that it could have brought.

"Yeah," I said. "Uh… I need to talk with you. I don't want to do it on the phone, but could we maybe meet? Like, um... maybe tomorrow or so?"

"Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Um, no. No, nothing happened. I'm okay. I just need to tell you something that's extremely important."

"You're kinda freaking me out here…"

"How about before I go to work tomorrow we meet? At my house?" I offered, ready for the conversation to be over now.

"Yeah, that's fine with me. Uh, I guess I'll see you then. Bye, Bella."

I swallowed. "Bye."

* * *

He looked terrible.

There was really no other way to say it. When I opened my door after Edward rang the doorbell, I was completely shocked to see the weary expression pulling at his face and his rumpled clothes. But he made the attempt to smile at me as I ushered him inside and closed the door. Roscoe skittered to his feet, excited at his familiar face and scent and Edward smiled timidly down at him before looking at me.

"Hey," I breathed, always taken aback by how unique his eyes were. "How've you been?"

"Uh…" He ran a distressed hand through his hair. "Not too good, to be honest. I've been looking for a job. And, um… well, the divorce is in the process of being finalized."

My eyebrows raised. "Oh. Okay… wow. So… I mean, Kate agreed to it?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It took a lot of talking, but Jasper helped me out on that one a lot. He's the one who brought her here."

"Yeah, I saw her in the car when he came by my house."

Edward frowned. "When did he come by?"

"When he was looking for you a few weeks ago. Your brother is apparently a very good stalker." I laughed awkwardly and played with the ends of my hair. "Um, but… the reason why you're here…" I took a deep breath and tried not to let my gaze waver from his. "When we… when we had sex," I started nervously. I just needed to spit it out. "…we didn't use a condom. I don't know how I forgot, but I did. And now… I'm pregnant."

"W-What?"

"I'm pregnant," I repeated. "I just found out a few days ago.

Edward stared at me for a few moments, not moving – hell, it didn't even look like he was _breathing_. After about a minute, he bowed his head and sunk his fingers into his hair. His shoulders rose roughly for a few seconds before he dropped his arms and looked at me with wet eyes, pleading. "I know you don't want to have this baby with me… but I can't lose another one. _Please_ …" His eyes grew wetter as I stared back at him in shock. "…don't kill my baby."

" _Shit_ … Edward," I said, gasping. My body instinctively moved to comfort him, but I jerked to a stop when I realized our current relationship and how I couldn't just do _that_ anymore. I swallowed and wrung my hands together as I righted my position on the couch. "Edward. I'm not Kate, alright? I'm not going to abort the baby."

He visibly swallowed. "No?"

"Of course not. I mean… this is definitely not something I really… _desire_ at the moment, but, I mean… we just have to get through it." I took in a deep breath. "I just wanted to tell you. Um… you can come during doctor visits, if you want to. My first one is October 10th. And, you know, when the baby is born, we can figure it out from there."

"Right," he breathed. "Okay." He nodded and ran a hand through his hair as a small smile flitted across his face. "I know this isn't ideal, but… I'm extremely happy. I realized I've screwed up monumentally, so thank you for telling me."

"This is your baby too, Edward," I murmured, surprised he would think I wouldn't tell him. "Now I just need to tell Maggie." I snorted humorlessly and ran a hand through my hair, distressed. "Fuck. And my parents, too."

Edward nodded and swallowed. "Yeah. Uh… if you don't mind me asking, how is she? Maggie, I mean."

"Oh, she's great. She's adjusting pretty nicely around here," I told him, smiling fondly. "Especially because of that one." I nodded to Roscoe, happily nibbling away at the only toy he now has because he decided to break all of the others.

"Good," Edward said and suddenly, we were both silent. I squirmed in my seat and crossed my legs while Edward peered over at something across the living room in mock interest. This tension was fucking unbearable.

"Well… I guess I should get going then," he said, standing. I nodded and let out a tiny exhale as we walked to the door. The knots that had been residing in my stomach, honestly since I found out I was pregnant, were slowly starting to unravel, but I knew that those frayed ends would stay from the ambiguity of what's going to happen in the future.

I closed the door and groaned as my thought from earlier pushed to the front of my mind.

I needed to tell my parents.

* * *

My dad lived not too far from Seattle in a small town called Forks. I lived there when I was younger, but when I was thirteen it was clear how suffocating Forks had been, just like it'd been for my mom. She moved to Arizona after the divorce with my dad when I was ten, and just three years later I decided to move out there with her, too. I loved my dad, but Sunday's at the diner and fishing on Fridays were not things I enjoyed at all. And not only was my life semi-depressing, but the weather was just as moody.

I still had a great relationship with my father, though. I would visit during my summer vacations and on the occasional Christmas and I'd have a blast while being there. I loved my dad to pieces and I knew the feeling was mutual – which was why he was so easily able to detect the worry in my voice about two minutes into my call with him.

"What's wrong, kid?" he asked in his gruff, over-protective father voice. I sighed and ran a hand down my face. Dad was extremely over-protective – it was just in his nature. I knew that when I told him I was knocked up, he was going to freak, then demand to meet Edward. He was also a police officer, so I wouldn't put it against him to use that title to freak him out. When he caught me kissing Jake Black in my room during the summer when I was sixteen, Jake really didn't even want to be _seen_ with my me when my father was around. He didn't tell me exactly what my father told him, but I knew it probably had something to do with his guns.

"Okay – don't freak out," I mumbled, even though this was inevitable.

"Bella?"

I took in a deep breath. "You know what? Maybe I should just visit you. Yeah, I'll visit you and –"

"Isabella," dad snapped, bringing out my whole name. Then, his tone noticeably softened. "Is everything okay?"

I groaned and sunk my fingers into the roots of my hair. Time to rip the proverbial band-aid off. "I'm pregnant," I rushed out. Silence. "Dad?"

"You're… pregnant?"

Can I say no and laugh about how this was all a joke? "Um… yeah. I'm pregnant."

"And did you also get married to this fucker that I'm going to hunt down and –"

"Dad!" I yelled, shocked. He just mumbled the rest of what he was going to say under his breath and I rolled my eyes.

"Who's the father?"

" _Well_ … you don't know him. _Andwemetafewmonthsago_."

"What?" he said.

I took in a deep breath. "We met a few months ago. We started seeing each other, but then things ended pretty badly. So…" I shrugged, even though this was pointless because he couldn't see me.

"Well," dad sighed. "I mean, this is unexpected, but I'm excited for you, Bells. I'm happy you're making me a grandfather, kid."

I laughed, happy he wasn't actually upset. "Thanks, dad. That means a lot."

"Hold up, you're not off the hook yet. I want to meet this guy. You haven't visited me in a while anyway," he said, grumbling the last part. "And did you tell your mother yet?"

I groaned and rubbed my temples. "No, not yet. She's going to freak – like probably bring her hippie friends down in their hippie van and throw me a hippie baby shower each month until the baby comes." I loved my mom to death, but she was too much sometimes. For my sixteenth birthday, she did 16 Days of Bella, and normally sixteen-year-old girls would love that kind of attention, but I hated it. Especially because the sixteen days consisted of stuff like hiking and making colorful bead curtains while listening to weird music.

"She definitely will," dad laughed. "But you still gotta tell her, Bells."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, I'm gonna go – Sue's got some fish on the stove," he said and I smiled. While mom's had plenty of boyfriends and even some fiancés, dad never really got back into the relationship scene, so I'm glad that he had Sue.

"Alright. Bye, dad. Love you."

"Love ya, too."

* * *

Over the weekend, we were finally going to go see Tanya. I called her a few days ago and she said that she wanted to see Maggie now.

Before we went in though, I wanted to tell Maggie about the pregnancy. She was incredibly smart and observant – so I know she was aware that something was up. While in the car, I turned down the radio and made brief eye contact with her in the rearview mirror.

"Mags," I said.

"Yeah?"

"You know where babies come from, right? Like… not how they're made, but where they're at before they're born?"

"Uh…" She tilted her head and squinted, probably confused as to why I'm asking. "Their mom's stomach, right?"

"Well, not exactly in her stomach… but yeah. The baby comes from the mom. And so… well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to have a baby."

She gasped silently. "Really? You and Edward are going to have a baby? Wait! You and Edward had _sex_? I thought you guys broke up! And you didn't even use a condom?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head – this girl knows way too much about stuff she should _not_ know about. "I'm not even going to ask how you know about any of the stuff you just said."

Maggie laughed. "Duh – the internet! You can find loads of shit on there."

"Your internet privileges are getting cut down by two hundred percent, Mags," I snorted. Now that I thought about it, she did somehow always find her way onto my laptop when I wasn't looking and I needed to check the history on that thing.

"Well, what's the baby gonna be? A boy or girl?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know yet – I have to wait until I'm farther along. But you wouldn't mind either way, would you?"

"Eh. If it's a girl, that'll be cool because then I can dress her up and stuff. And if it's a boy, I don't know… they're a bit weird, ya know? So just try to have a girl, please."

I laughed at her request. "Sure, Mags. I'll keep that in mind."

We pulled up to the center not too long after. When walking inside, immediately I was hit with a sterile atmosphere, but somewhat of a homey environment. I held onto Maggie's hand, which she decided to swing, and headed over to the front desk to check in.

The woman at the desk led us to a room with a few circular tables and had us sit down while she went to get Tanya. I turned to Maggie when she was gone and squeezed her hand. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she said. "Do you think she'll be excited to see me?"

I scoffed playfully. "Who _wouldn't_ be excited to see you? She'll be thrilled, but she'll probably look really sleepy, too. Your mom is trying to get better, but it'll be hard."

"Yeah, I know," Maggie sighed. "I wish she was never sick."

I swallowed and nodded. "Me too, Mags. I wish she'd ever gotten sick, too."

A moment later, the woman reappeared with Tanya trailing behind her. Honestly, I was expecting her to look lifeless and barely hanging on, but she had on a small smile when she spotted us and there was even a small bounce in her step. She didn't look one hundred percent of course, but I don't think Tanya's ever been at one hundred percent since before Maggie was born.

"Hey," Tanya whispered, immediately dropping to hug Maggie. She then went to hug me, and I hugged her back hard to show her that I think we could be okay. When wrapping my arms around her, she was definitely skinnier now than before, but I expected as much.

Tanya sat down across from Maggie and I and smiled softly. "How've you guys been?"

"Great," Maggie said, grinning. "I love living with Bella. We go to the park often, and then after school I go to the pet shop and help Mrs. Cope. It's so fun! And we also have slumber parties with Alice. Oh, and guess what? Bella has a bun in the oven!"

Despite not wanting to tell Tanya this way, I still couldn't help but laugh. Maggie shrugged cheekily and I reached over to tickle her sides. "Thanks for that, blabber mouth," I teased, sticking my tongue out. I turned to Tanya, who had a bit of an odd look on her face. "Uh, well… remember Edward? We broke up a bit ago, but… well, I'm pregnant. But don't worry – Alice is definitely going to be around to help and Edward will help too, so Maggie will be fine."

Tanya's eyes dropped from mine, switching over to Maggie. She then turned back to me and frowned. "Well, it isn't like she'll be staying with you forever, Bella, so of course I'm not going to worry."

"Oh, yeah. I mean, I know that. I was just…" I trailed off and shrugged, unsure of how to react at her sudden change in demeanor. "Sorry if I insinuated that, but I know she won't be staying with me forever."

"Right. Just until I'm better." She turned to Maggie and grinned. "And I think I feel a lot better already, sweetie. I can't wait until I'm completely better and then you can live with me again."

Maggie pursed her lips to the side and looked at me. When it was obvious she wasn't going to respond, I turned to Tanya and smiled. "I think we're all excited for you to get better, Tanya."

Tanya exhaled slowly and ran a hand through her hair before looking at me. "Can I talk to Maggie alone?"

I was a little taken aback by her question – she couldn't talk to her with me here? But I didn't want to upset her, so I just nodded and quietly stood to walk out of the room. The doors didn't look like they were supposed to be closed, so I was able to easily look back into the room as I waited. Tanya had moved into the seat I was sitting in and was talking with Maggie. At one point, she placed her hand on Maggie's shoulder and I frowned when Maggie jerked backwards and out of her chair. She turned her head wildly from side to side, until she spotted me at the door, then darted towards me.

"I wanna go," she said. "I don't wanna be here anymore."

I looked at Tanya, who was looking stonily towards the ground, the back to Maggie, who was pulling on my sleeve. "What happened?"

"I just want to _go_ , Bella," she snapped before pulling away from me and walking towards the door. I quickly went to sign out at the front desk and followed after Maggie, who was already out the door. When I got to the car, she was leaning against the door and frowning.

"Maggie, you can't just run out like that! Especially in a parking lot. What happened in there?"

"She said you aren't my mom," Maggie said heatedly. "And that I'll be living with her soon."

Anger dissipated, I sighed and crouched down in front of her. "Mags, she's right. I'm not your mom and you _will_ be living with her again – maybe not soon, but your mom wants to get better, so you need to give her a chance. You know that. All you did by running out was hurting her feelings."

"What about _my_ feelings?" she insisted, looking down. "She hurt my feelings a lot and she didn't care."

I nodded as my heart broke a little bit more. I pulled her into a hug and wondered why the hell I'd been defending Tanya. Maggie was absolutely right – she may be trying to get better now, but Tanya had always discarded Maggie's feelings. It made me really think about some things. Like… if I told the police that Maggie had been the one to find Tanya, well… that would change _a lot_ of things.

* * *

Questions? I'll answer them. Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews guys!

* * *

I really was debating whether to tell my mother when I was about eight months along or now, but I also knew she would throw a huge fit if I did that. I decided to Skype her since I haven't seen her in a while and was surprised when a buff, shirtless twenty-something year old man with russet skin filled the screen.

"Uh… hi?" I said, frowning.

The man waved and raised an eyebrow. "You're Renee's daughter, right?"

"Yeah, I am. And you are…?"

"Tyler!" I heard my mom screech. "You can't just answer my video calls without any clothes on. Yeesh." Suddenly my mom popped in next to Tyler, and she also was shirtless. I grimaced and covered my eyes. "Mom! Gross."

"You've seen it all before," she said and when I uncovered my eyes, she had thrown a sheet across her body and was rolling her eyes. "Anyhow – what's up, baby?"

"Um." I side-eyed Tyler. "Can I talk to you _alone_?"

"Oh! Okay – female issues, huh? Ty, baby, how about you go watch some TV?" Mom asked. Tyler nodded, waved to me, then stood and walked out – showing me that he was not just shirtless but completely nude. I rolled my eyes at my mom, who was shamelessly gawking his ass.

"Mom," I groaned. She turned her attention back to me and smiled. "What? I'm getting old – I need stability."

"Why a twenty something year old guy?"

She shrugged. "He has an old soul. But enough about me! What's going on with you?"

"Well…" I dragged out. "Let's see. I changed shifts at my job, so that's kind of cool. Maggie is doing great here with Alice and I – but I broke up with Edward, did I tell you that the last time we talked? I think I did, but whatever, that's not the case. Um, I'm pregnant. Oh! And I never did show you that picture of Roscoe, but actually – Roscoe! Come here, boy-"

"Your attempt to slide past that reveal was cute," mom deadpanned. "Bella, are you really pregnant?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, I haven't had my first appointment yet. That's in about two and a half weeks, on the tenth. But I definitely know that I am."

"Oh, wow," mom said emotionally, bringing a hand up under her eyes. "I'm going to be a grandmother. Oh – you're going to be a _mom_ , Bella. My baby is going to be a mother," she blubbered. I laughed lightly. "Your baby is also turning twenty-five next week," I said.

"You see? This is why I need a twenty-something year old boyfriend," mom said. "You make me feel old by getting older and now you're going to have a baby. Did you tell your father?"

"Yeah, I told him yesterday. He was happy, although he wants to meet Edward."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. We should all get together – I haven't seen Charlie in years, it would be nice to catch up," she suggested. "And I want to see Maggie again – I don't think I pinched her cheeks hard enough the last time I saw her."

I laughed, remembering when Maggie was about five and mom had kept pinching her cheeks as a joke. Maggie had then started calling her "Mama Crabs", which was adorable.

"Yeah, mom. Just pick a date and time."

She picked the weekend after my birthday to come up to Seattle so I'll have to ask my dad if he can make it. After talking a little bit more about my life and hers, I eventually ended the call.

* * *

"No, Alice."

" _Please_ , Bella?"

"No."

"Bella."

"Alice."

Alice groaned. "You're turning twenty-five. That's a big deal! You're gonna be a quarter of a century!"

"That actually makes me not want to have a party even more," I said, rolling my eyes. "Besides, I need to work on my birthday."

"Then ask Rose for a day off."

"I took, like, three weeks off from my ankle, Al," I reminded her. "Seriously – I just want to have a quiet birthday this year."

Alice crossed her arms like a petulant child and I rolled my eyes as I turned back to my computer. I was filling out applications for some paid business internships. I really needed to make use of my degree and stop messing around with that bar job. It was great, seriously, with the hours and flexibility, but I needed a stable job and income that I can always count on now that I'm pregnant _and_ Maggie is here – even just temporarily.

"You're adulting too hard right now," Alice said, tossing her body backwards onto my bed. "I'm still baffled as to why you _chose_ to major in business. You should've did something like auctioneering, or sexuality studies."

I laughed. "What, Alice? Yeah, I've always dreamed of someday becoming this bigshot auctioneer," I said teasingly.

She shrugged. "It could happen." I heard her rustle around on my bed for a moment before she spoke again. "Hey, so what's up with you and Coward?"

"What?" I said distractedly.

"Cah- _ward_ ," Alice annunciated and I turned my head to stare at her. "Like Ed- _ward_ , but with a C-O in front."

I rolled my eyes again and turned back around to the computer. "Well. We talked everything out, I guess. There's nothing more to do except wait for the baby to come and let things happen naturally."

"The fuck? Do you know how stupid that is? You need to make a _plan_."

"Like?"

"I don't know. Make amends so it isn't so stoic between you two? Sort out a schedule or some shit about who will have the baby during what days? You can't just _wait_ until the baby is due."

I sighed softly and saved my application, no longer able to concentrate while also simultaneously dealing with Alice's mouth. "I'm just at a loss here," I said, running my heads through my hair. "I don't know what to do. I mean, obviously I can't be mad at him forever – I was the kid whose parents fought all the time and it isn't fun. But I'm just not ready to forgive him all the way, you know? Like… he's lied to me so easily."

"You know who else lies?" Alice asked, touching a subject I do not really want to approach. "Tanya."

"Alice." I looked at her, frowning.

"Okay, sorry. It's just something you should think about," she told me before rolling off the bed and out of my room. I looked at the time and stood to get ready for work. I did need to think, but I could do that later.

* * *

I was on break when Ms. Cope rung my cell. I answered brightly, loving when she called me about something cute Maggie did. Last week, Ms. Cope caught her in the puppy pen reading _Amelia Bedila_ books to five energetic puppies.

"Hi dear," Ms. Cope greeted sweetly. "I was wondering if Maggie caught a cold since she isn't here. If she did – tell her that I hope she feels better."

I froze. "Maggie isn't there?" I looked at the clock. It was 4:20, about thirty minutes past the time Maggie usually is dropped off by the bus.

"She went to school today?" Ms. Cope questioned.

"Shit. Um… I'll call you back, Ms. Cope. Thank you so much for calling me."

I hung up and my fingers fumbled as I dialed the school's number. The bus could just be late – there's no reason to panic right now. A woman answered on the third ring and I tried to calm my voice as I spoke. "Hi. Um, well, my child Maggie Denali, she was supposed to be dropped off by her bus about a half hour ago and she hasn't."

"Can you tell me her bus number?"

"Um." Fuck, what the fuck was her bus number? "I can't, I'm sorry. I know they mailed it before school started, but I'm at work and I don't have it."

Her tone was disapproving. "Okay. You said her name was Maggie Daniels?"

" _Denali_. Maggie Denali."

Rose stuck her head into the room and tapped her wrist, indicating that my break was over. I nodded at her and she disappeared.

"Okay, it looks like Maggie is the second to last child to be dropped off – which means that the route is over and the bus is back at the garage. There's no known delays, the driver would have usually called in. No accidents, either."

"Um, alright. Can – do – "

I felt like I was close to having a panic attack, so I tried to slow my breathing and talk with an even pace. "Are you able to find out if she's still in the school? Maybe she was in the bathroom during dismissal?"

"All teachers make sure the kids get on the bus," the lady said calmly. "Did you forget that someone was picking her up or something like that?"

I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle her. "No! Of course not – I would remember something like that. No one but me and her moth- " I froze. "Isn't there a log out book, where people sign when a child has early dismissal?"

"Yes, there is. We have stellar security here, however. Who else is on her emergency contact list?"

"Her mother and I are the only ones," I said silently.

"You aren't her mother?"

"No, I'm her temporary guardian while her mother has been in rehab," I said. "Can you please check those log books?"

"Sure, of course." I heard the clacking of keys as she typed something on the computer. A moment later, she responded. "Yeah, so at 11:35 this morning, it says here that Maggie was dismissed early by Tanya Denali, her mother I presume?"

"Yes," I said, swallowing.

"Well, if the woman is her mother…" the lady offered, but her calm voice did not placate me.

"I know," I said. "I know. But her mother is not stable – she should still be in rehab." I paused, not sure why I was still on the phone if she couldn't do anything. "Okay. Thank you so much."

"Of course. I hope everything turns out okay."

I hang up the phone and immediately dial the rehab center. On the phone, they're not much help either. They tell me that Tanya discharged herself at nine this morning, which is allowed because this wasn't a court ordered stay. She was allowed to go if she wanted to. When I hung up the call, Rose was back in the room, arms crossed. "Bella, you know I hate the personal shit."

"I know," I groaned. "I'm sorry. But Tanya has Maggie and she just got out of rehab and I'm worried because I don't think she's in the right frame of mind at the moment."

Rose frowned. "Can't you call the police?"

"They can't do anything – Tanya is her mother. She's been clean for about two months." I stood and grabbed my jacket from my locker. "I need to leave now. I promise I'll make up the hours, but I have to make sure she's okay."

Rose sighed. "Alright. Fine. I hope she's okay."

* * *

My car wouldn't start. Out of all the days this piece of shit wanted to suddenly not fucking start, it chose _today_. I think I screamed at it every vulgar word in the book, but it still would not move an inch. I couldn't call Alice – she was working late tonight. Emmett was too. Do I really only have two fucking friends?

"Fuck!" I yelled angrily, then screamed in surprise when someone knocked on my window. When I turned to see who it was, I immediately rolled the window down. "Edward?"

"Hey," he said. "Are you okay? I heard you scream."

I swallowed hard. "No, I – Maggie is missing, well… sort of. Tanya has her, but she should still be in rehab, technically. Um, it's just a shitfest. And now my fucking car won't turn the fuck on because it's the stupidest fucking piece of shit garbage I own."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

I blanched. Seriously? "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I know we're not on the right foot at the moment, but – "

"Edward, that would be amazing. Thank you," I cut him off. We definitely weren't on the right foot, but it's not like I hated him. And if he was willing to help me, then I was willing to accept.

We got into his car and the first thing I did, and should have done minutes ago now that I'm thinking about it, was call Tanya. It went straight to voice mail though, so I groaned.

"Where to?" Edward asked.

"I don't even know." I scrubbed my face hard.

"What about her house?" he offered.

"Yeah, we can try there."

I directed Edward to Tanya's house while I continued to call her phone.

"So… have you been good? You know, with the pregnancy and everything?" Edward asked. I turned my head to look at him, a little bit surprised he was asking, but nodded. "Oh, um, yeah. Everything has been okay. I haven't experienced any morning sickness. Oh, and my first appointment will be in about two weeks, so… yeah, you can come. If you want to."

"Of course," he said. "I mean, I would love to come."

I nodded and let out a tiny breath. "And listen, I know things are rough between us. I… you really hurt me, Edward."

"I know. I… _hate_ myself for what I did. What I kept from you," he said softly. "I wish I could take it back."

"I do, too," I murmured, then thought of something. "And hey... why were you at the restaurant?"

"I was asking for my job back," he told me. "I haven't really been successful in landing another one, so I was hoping I could convince Rose to hire me back."

"Oh," I said. "What were you fighting about with that guy anyway?"

Edward pulled in a breath. "He said some stupid things about you. So I punched him."

My eyes widened slightly. " _Oh_."

We pulled up at Tanya's house about ten minutes later. Her car wasn't there though, meaning she was here earlier. It's just been sitting at the house since she's been at the center.

"She's not here," I said. "Do you mind if we just drive around for a bit? I don't know where they could be…"

"Yeah, we can drive around for a bit."

While he did, I kept my eye out for Tanya's red Ford or if her and Maggie were walking around. Seattle was huge – they could literally be anywhere. They could have even _left_ Seattle and the thought made me nauseous. I tried to think about where they could be, but Tanya almost always practiced with her band at her home and I was usually the one to take Maggie to different places. There were a few parks, but the one's we've passed are nearly empty.

By the time it reached six, I'd bitten my nails to stubs and my legs couldn't stop shaking.

"I think I should call the police," I said, suddenly at a loss. Even if they turned me away, I needed to try.

"We passed the police station a few blocks back," Edward said. I nodded and he turned down a street to try and route a way back to the station. When we got back onto one of the main roads, I groaned at the collision blocking an intersection.

"Damn," Edward said, squinting at the mess. "Should I just back up?"

"Yeah," I told him, but then I saw the red car. It was completely totaled and I almost missed it, but it was _definitely_ her car. A dreamcatcher hung from the front mirror, swinging haplessly in the wind and miraculously intact. "Oh shit," I choked out, throwing the door open. Edward called after me, but I rushed forward.

An ambulance and a few police cars were on the scene, and when I tried to move closer, a police officer grabbed my arm to stop me. "Ma'am, you need to stay back."

"But – but, was there a l-little girl in the accident?" I asked, my voice low and almost unrecognizable. I looked frantically around, but didn't see her. As my eyes roamed frantically, they suddenly came to a stop at her book bag – a _Sofia the First_ bookbag, tossed haphazardly in a pile of glass. And a few feet from that, a small shoe.

The police officer was saying something, but I couldn't hear him. My knees were buckling, and I felt strong arms grip me before I could fall and a strong sweet smell – _Edward_. Then, a few men emerged from a few bushes on the side of the road with a stretcher and a small body on top and I don't think I've cried so hard in my life.

* * *

Thoughts? If you have questions, I will answer :)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I just want to say you guys are so GREAT - your reviews really make me want to write, even when I should be studying for my upcoming chemistry exam LOL! BBM is so close to 300 reviews and I would love if it could make it there after this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it~

* * *

Maggie fell off her bike when I first taught her how to ride just a little over a year ago. She cried for two whole minutes because her legs were all scratched up, but after those two minutes were up she wanted to keep trying. When she was three, Tanya had rushed to my house after Maggie fell down the steps, not sure of what to do with the toddler, who was eerily calm and looked completely unaffected. We still went to the doctor of course, who said she was surprisingly fine and incredibly lucky.

Those had been minor injuries – forgotten about the next moment. This was so, _so_ different.

The doctor had said it was a miracle she was alive. She had a few bone fractures, some internal bleeding, and her brain was swelling – a lot for someone so tiny to endure, but she was fighting. She had to have a few surgeries, one to stop the swelling in her brain and the other was a thoracotomy from internal injury.

Tanya was in a coma. I've only visited her once, and I didn't plan on doing it again, at least not until she woke up. There was both alcohol and heroin in her bloodstream, which is what caused her to have the accident. She ran a red light, causing another car to T-Bone hers. The people in the other car had been fine thankfully, but I don't know if Tanya ever will be again – not that I could really bring myself to care much. I was done and _she_ was done. I hate that it took me this long and had to result in _this_ for me to figure it out, that she could never get better. If she woke up, I will fight her for custody. Maggie deserves so much more.

Alice told me to file a complaint against the school for not realizing that Tanya was drunk and drugged up, but I didn't. I knew first-hand how easily she could play her symptoms off sometimes.

When I was first able to talk to Maggie, she told me that Tanya said that I couldn't take care of her anymore because I'll be too busy with the new baby. Maggie didn't believe her at first, but Tanya had shown her a text that confirmed this. I really don't know what made Tanya do something so stupid – it could have been the visit from yesterday, or she could have really felt ready to leave and was just too weak to stay off the drugs. Whatever the case, I wasn't scared to involve the police now.

"When can I leave?"

I looked at Maggie, surprised she was talking. She'd been out of it since the crash almost a week ago, hurting from her injuries and I think a little bit sad about Tanya. I grasped her little fingers and gave them a small squeeze as I smiled. "I'm not sure, sweets. The doctors want to keep an eye on you because your injuries were so bad."

Maggie sighed irritably. "Is Roscoe okay? I know Alice doesn't like him very much, so is she taking good care of him?"

I laughed softly. "Mags, you're sitting here recovering from two surgeries and you're worried about Roscoe? He's fine, bud."

Maggie smiled. "Good. Are you okay? I heard you crying last night."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. I was crying because I was mad at myself. I should have told the police that your mom wasn't taking care of you right – then they would have protected you from things like this happening. She would have still been in the center that we visited Sunday."

"Oh," Maggie said. "Well, I'm not mad at you, Bella. Mommy should've known that it isn't safe to take those drugs, especially when I was with her. She needs to be more responsible."

My smile widened. " _How_ old are you again?"

She grinned as much as she could with the little bit of swelling and bandages left on her face and shrugged.

"Knock, knock," a voice chirped as the door opened.

I turned around at Alice's voice. She was carrying a huge basket with what looked like candy and a few teddy bears in it.

"Hey, Alice," Maggie said. "You got _another_ one for me?"

Alice smiled. "No, this one isn't from me, kiddo. This is from Edward."

Just then, Edward walked into the room with more gifts. He was juggling what looked like a four-foot purple bear and some balloons and looked like he was about to topple over from the weight. Maggie giggled and Edward grinned at her from over the mess in his arms.

"Hey, Maggie," he said excitedly. "You're looking great."

She raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "I look like shit, Edward."

We all laughed a little bit when she said that and for the first time in a while, the atmosphere wasn't so heavy. Even Maggie cracked a smile, but I knew it would hurt to laugh out loud because of the stitches. When a TDI dog came to visit her yesterday, she lit up in excitement and happiness, but the pain was evident on her face. It hurt so much, but I tried not to let her see how heartbroken I was. She was being incredibly strong and I needed to be too.

While Alice situated herself next to Maggie, I excused myself and motioned for Edward to meet me outside. After seeing the crash, I didn't properly thank him. He's the one that calmed me down enough and spoke to an officer about my relationship with Maggie so that I could ride in the ambulance with her. He even drove to the hospital himself to be there for me because I was so distraught.

"Thank you," I said, smiling softly at him. "I know I've been a huge bitch to you –"

"For good reason," he said, shaking his head. "I deserve it so much, Bella. I want to take back what I did, but we both know I can't. So, even if you don't fully forgive me… we're going to be seeing each other regularly now. Do you think we can, I don't know… become friends? Honestly, I think we kind of skipped that part before we got together anyway."

I let out a breath. "Yeah, we can try. I just… I _need_ you to be truthful, Edward."

He nodded. "I will. I promise that I will."

And despite the tension in my stomach, I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

When Tanya woke up, I knew I had to talk to her. I was livid – beyond livid, actually. But I needed to understand why.

When I first walked in, we just sat in silence. She was looking out the window while I looked at her, wondering how she could do this to her daughter, to our friendship. But after sitting for nearly a half an hour, I came up with nothing. She's been doing it for years, and she'll continue to do it.

"What were you thinking?" I asked quietly. She sighed and turned to face me, most likely expecting this question. "I wasn't thinking. I was angry when you two visited me Sunday. I saw how much she loved you - she's never shown that kind of love to me."

"Do you think she will _now_?" I asked in disbelief. "You fucked up, Tanya. DHS will not let her back into your custody – not after this shit. I mean, they might, if you somehow manage to get your shit together, but I'm telling you now, I _will_ fight against it."

She exhaled loudly. "I'm going to give her up."

My eyebrows burrowed deep into my forehead. "What?"

"I'm signing away my rights," she said. "I'm not a mom – I never was. I'm going to have it all arranged and this time I won't try and take her from you."

I nodded and stood. "Alright. Well, it sucks that neither you or Maggie's father wanted a beautiful daughter like her – but I'm glad. She deserves so much better than you." I sighed. "Bye, Tanya."

When I stood and walked out, I didn't look back.

* * *

By the time my parents came for my birthday dinner, Maggie was back home. Despite the fact that her leg and wrist were broken and she just had two invasive surgeries, she was having a blast – especially with Tyler's son, Andrew, which was a total surprise. Tyler was twenty-four, which was beyond creepy since he was my age practically, and he had a four-year-old son. Charlie kept looking at Tyler with this weird look on his face – Sue was at least _trying_ not to stare.

I understood why he was so weirded out by it though.

"She's gonna run over that dog," Alice snorted, watching Maggie roll around and Andrew running behind her. Roscoe was trying to keep up, but he kept slipping around the hardwood and tumbling over himself.

"Mags, hey," I called out, and she halted to a stop to look at me. It was comical the way Andrew and Roscoe ran into the back of her chair "Remember what the doctor said? You don't want to irritate the incisions."

"Ugh, okay," she grumbled and rolled towards the living room.

"So, Bella," dad said as we gathered in the dining room. "Where's Edward?"

"He'll be here soon," I assured him. "He's bringing his brother, Jasper, too."

" _Ooh_ ," Alice said. "His brother?"

"Down girl," I teased, pointing a finger at her. "You need to behave."

"So, have you forgiven Edward, then?" Renee asked, while Charlie snorted.

"I don't know how she could," he grumbled. "That kid has some problems."

"Please be nice," I said, rolling my eyes. "And no, I don't think I've forgiven him fully. But I'm trying to make things better between us so the pregnancy and birth goes smoothly. I'm not angry - I think I just need time to rebuild our relationship."

Not even a moment later, the doorbell rung and I got up to answer. When I opened the door, Edward stood there, carrying a dish, with Jasper behind him holding a gift bag and balloons. I couldn't help but smile. "You just love balloons, don't you?"

Edward chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do."

I stepped aside so they could enter and smiled kindly at Jasper. The way we met was unfortunate, but I hope that we could both get past it. "Hey, Jasper."

"Hello Bella," he said, grinning. Yeesh - their family definitely does have some really strong genes. Jasper had crisp, curly blonde hair and blue eyes, a strikingly huge different against Edward's auburn hair and green eyes, but what they both had in common were disturbingly good looks.

I ushered them both to the dining room, where everyone was gathering around the table and mom and Tyler were setting dishes out for everyone.

"Hey, guys – this is Edward and Jasper," I said, raising my voice a bit over the conversation. Mom was the first to get up and introduce herself, followed by dad. I could see the strain on Edward's face as Charlie gripped his hand a little harder than necessary and rolled my eyes at his hostility.

After introductions were over, we sat down at the table and started to eat. My mom didn't do it regularly, but when she got started in the kitchen, she really went all out – especially with dessert. They couldn't fit on the table now, but in the kitchen, there were two apple pies and apple cinnamon monkey bread.

"So, Edward," dad started about five minutes into the meal and my eyes immediately glared at his slightly balding head. "Bella here tells me you're from Australia – "

"England," I corrected, annoyed. He knew he was wrong.

" – and well, I was wondering what brings you to Seattle?" I rolled my eyes and stabbed a piece of chicken on my plate particularly hard. I told Charlie everything and he still felt the need to embarrass Edward.

Edward set his fork down. "I moved to the US to get away from a bad relationship that was hard for me to get over."

Jasper snorted. "That's an extremely condensed version."

Charlie huffed in agreement. "I agree. From what I've been told, your emotional baggage is really extensive – it makes me wonder how good of a father you can be to my grandchild. This kid won't replace your last –"

"Dad!" I snapped, appalled. I knew he was overprotective in these situations, but that was so uncalled for. Edward took in a deep breath before staring hard at my father. "I know how extensive my past is, but I don't think it's appropriate dinner conversation to talk about how I lost a child. I messed up with your daughter and you're angry about that, but I will be a good father to _my_ child, whether you like it or not." He wiped his hands and stood. "Excuse me," he said before walking towards the kitchen.

Charlie rolled his eyes and stuffed a part of a roll into his mouth. "Sensitive kid, huh?"

I had to reel in the curse words I wanted to shout at him and be mindful of the children at the table. "Seriously?" I said sharply.

I stood and followed after Edward, who was leaning against the kitchen counter and rubbing his temples.

"Sorry about that," I said softly, causing him to look up at me.

Edward smiled softly. "No, it's okay. He's just worried about you is all."

"He's being a huge ass," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "He's been like this to all the guys I've been involved with."

"Really, Bella – it's fine. I would do the same for our daughter."

I looked up as he said this, raising an eyebrow. "Daughter?"

He shrugged and smiled a bit sheepishly. "Yeah – I don't know, I just have a hunch."

I smiled and rubbed my stomach. I wasn't showing yet, but I definitely felt different. My breasts were already really fucking sore and I feel a bit heavier, but this just reflected on what was growing in me. I haven't really thought of genders – in fact, I haven't though much about the actual baby. What he or she would look like, what kind of names I'd like. It's like Edward, saying that out loud, turned on a switch for me.

"This is so surreal," I breathed out. "I'm actually going to have a child."

Edward chuckled. "It's just sinking in?"

"A little," I said, shrugging and laughing a bit. "I mean… I don't really know how to phrase it. It's just... really _strange_ , in a way, I guess. In about seven months from now, I'm gonna be a mom. And it seems forever away, but I know it's going to creep up on me. I'm a little bit scared I'll be a terrible mother."

Edward's eyebrows rose. "Why do you think that? You're a great mother to Maggie and she isn't even your biological daughter."

I scoffed and looked to the side. " _Great_? I basically caused that car accident. I should've told the police about Tanya – hell, I should've just taken Tanya's name off the emergency contact list and none of this shit would've happened."

"First," Edward said firmly, and my eyes snapped to his. " _Tanya_ caused that accident. You can't beat yourself up because of her actions. And second, if I bring Maggie in here right now and ask her if you're a great mother, she'll say yes. Everyone in that room will say yes because it's so incredibly true." I sighed and Edward moved so he was directly in front of me – so I was staring directly at him. "You're going to be a great mom. And what's best is that we'll be doing it together."

* * *

Come on – you didn't _really_ think I'd kill Maggie, did you? I may love cliffhangers, but I'm not _that_ evil! I was super close to killing Tanya though lol, but this won't be the last time we hear from her.

Leave a review please, whether it be a question or comment or smiley/frowny face!


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